The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-12-31

fFuye the SatdTS LtSe.
Sioux City Journal If rational
economy is to be the watchword at
the state house during the coming adj
ministration, the place to begin is
with the organization of the legisla-
ture. If the affairs of the state are
to be handled in business-like way
an example should be set by that body
in handling it's own affairs.
There never has been any extraya-
gance in connection with the pay OF
members of the legislature. Now that
the passes have been cut off the once
criticised allowance for travelling ex-
penses is logical enough. 1t is in re-
gard to the cost of running the le5Lsla-
ture, apart from the expense or It's
membership. that the opening for ra-
t;onal economy is found. During the
last session of the general assembly
the state paid $4,000 for help" for
tho legislative mill. This was about
third of the total expense of the
session. The prevailing impression is
that at least half of the money PAID
to employees and alleged employees was
thrown away The complaint in tais
connection comes not on account OF the
amount expended which is not af-
Fighting in itself 1t is due to the fact
that everyone familiar with the work
+ ing of the legislative machinery knows
+ that many of the persons drawing SAL
aries from the state rendered no use
full service in return for their pay
checks.
The simple fact is that the legfs-
lature heretofore has not tried to main
tain working organization on the
same principle that would obtain IN
business. A business concern would
ascertain how much work was to be
done and how much help was needed
to perform it, and then take on a sIf-
fcient number of competent employees
to do the work Maybe that was the
system the assembly had in mind
when it first assumed the role of enl'
ployer, but it was not adhered to. The
opening of every session found the
members assailed with applications
for Jobs. and eventually the disposition
seems to have been to increase the
number of Jobs so far as feasible tc
meet the demand. The result was
that in paving the expenses of the
legislature the state was not always
paving for value received in the way
of service. Often it was paying the
political debts of members, whose ap
pointees to the salary list were expect
ed to do little or nothing in return fol
:. the money received from the state.
The most conspicuous example O.
this sort of thing has been found If
the committee clerkships. There are
few committees in each house tina
have continuous need of a clerks ser
vices. In the senate there are fort!
committees and fifty clerks-a clerl
for every member. In the house there
are fifty-seven committees and thirty
seven clerks. Each clerk draws 50
day for seven days week Throughout
the session. At least half of thes
clerkships are snaps" having praC
tically no work copnected with then
Once there was a conscientious CON
mittee chairman who happened to al
point conscientious clerk, each SUI
i posing that the arrangement was
e business one. The efforts of the cler
u to find something to do throughout tn
session, and the efforts of the chat
i man to provide him with it made
. very pretty comedy. Long before tn
. close of the session both employer an
II employe realized they were in on
u game of petty graft, which cost tt