Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-03

There are twenty-eight standing
committees in the house, for which
there are fifteen committee clerks APP
pearing on the payroll. OF these
twenty-eight committees, not more
than ten have enough work to occupy
the services of one competent man or
woman twenty-fOur hours during the
entire session.
OF the fifteen committee clerks, not
five understand the use of a typewri-
ter. Several of them do not speak the
English language. They are totally
ueless for any purpose whatever, eX-
cept to swell the payroll.
Several of these committee clerks
have not appeared in the house or
near it since the opening week of the
session. Fred Fisher. of Albuquerque
for instance, who is credited as COM
mlttee clerk appointment by Repre-
sentative S. e. Aldrich of Mckinley
county, has not been seen in Santa Fe
since the opening week. Fisher is
mentioned because he is generally
known. He is not a solitary exception
by any means.
There are five assistant sergeants at
arms, in addition 60 the sergeant at
arms, and 1t Is also understood that
one or two of Mr.. Bursum's six are
slated as assistants to former Sheriff
Baca of Socorro county. The house is
not naturally a disorderly body, and
there is very little question of the
ability of this corps of stalwart men
t9-keep the peace.
4 There are four doorkeepers, and
five assistant doorkeepers, a total of
hine assigned to this duty. The total
number of doors in the house of rep
fesentatives, Is 3, giving a total of
three doorkeepers to each door, at the
rate of "a each per day. If the door
Keepers were all busy and on duty all
the time, entry and exit to the house
would be impeded since the passages
Would be clogged, but fortunately
most of the doorkeepers do not work.
There are nine messengers, but 1t Is
doubtful If one messenger would be
kept busy The messengers, however,
are paid but So per day, so that the
territory Is only out the trifiing sum
of SIS day for messenger service.
There are five pages at 81 day,
who earn their money.
There are three Interpreters at 81
per day who earn their money
There are two translators at 81 a
day who earn their money
There are two stenographers--just
two, for the work ia body composed
of twentv-four men-who are over
worked, 1t having been necessary to
import another man from Carlsbad.
The chief clerk of the house is not a
stenographer and is not in a position
to help out his clerks.
The two copying clerks are needed,
If they were efficient men, which they
are not.
The watchman and the postmistress
are necessary employees.
An analysis of these tables and
facts will convince the average man
In a very short time that the house
could transact its business easily and
with complete system and dispatch
with less than one-half of the en-
ployes now drawing pay and that the
$4,000 payroll for the session could
be cut to $4,000 without in any way
impairlng the efficiency of the body
or impeding its work.
The fact is that of the sixty people
now drawing pay from the territory,
about ten underpaid and efficient
stenographers, clerks and interpreters
are doing the work. while the other
fifty are either gone home or spend
their time crowding the corridors of
the house or lettering about Santa Fe.
III all the employees now on the
house payroll are kept there through
the session, and If the council retains
all of its twenty-six employees. the to-
tai payroll for the session will ex-
ceed $4,000.
The facts above are given merely
that the people of New Mexico may
know how much of value received Is
returned for this considerable amount
of the public money 1t can be safely
left to the peoples judgment whether
or not this now well established form
Of graft should be allowed to con-
tinue.