The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-02-06

STATE HOUSE EXTRAvAGANCE.

STATE HOUSE ExrRAvAGANCE.
The qnrrel which has taken posses
ion of affairs at the state house Is for
tunately one that Is most likely To re-
suit in good to the people of the state.
Should the state auditor win, the
board OF examiners will be more care
full in allowing bills and will give more
care and attention to the business Of
the state than merely attaching their
signatures to claims so that the peo-
pies taxes may be paid out.
Should the board Of examiners win,
1t may establish the rule that mans
family cannot be placed In office be-
cause Of his election. In that case
there will be vacancies for a good num-
Der of Republican workers In the state,
for not only will the auditors office
itself be affected but nearly every
other Office I'm the state, a majority
of the board OF examiners included.
But it appears that the state board
Of examiners has aroused considerable
unmerited sympathy in their fight
against the state auditor through the
belief that they were fighting the
question of nepotlsm. The great major
ity Of the people of the state are oppos-
ed TO nepotism, but the state board is
not making It's fight on that score but
has caused the announcement to be
made that they have disallowed the
auditors clerk claims on the ground
that the salaries allowed are unwar.
ranted.
Should the state board really come
to determination TO conduct the bust
ness OF the state In an economical
manner, there would be ground for re-
Joicing among the taxpayers who GER
tainly have reasons to feel that they
have been hit hard enough in the past.
Any one making the most cusory
examination OF state affairs. would be
forced to the conclusion that the ut
most laxity In financial matters and
greatest lack of businesslike methods
have prevailed.
Yesterday this paper called atten
ton to figures given out from the rec
ords Of the state auditors office show
ing that, not satisfied with conducting
business within the large appropria-
tions made, excuses have been found to
go outside, and to make serious attacks
upon another fund of the state. But
that does not cover it all.
Clerks are loaned back and forth
from one department to another and
are allowed to draw double compensa-
tion from the state.
Attention was called in this paper
some time ago to clerk Of the state
engineers department who had drawn
his regular full salary from that de-
partment and for the same month had
been allowed to draw a month salary
from another department.
Another instance is recorded where
an employe OF the attorney generals
office presented claim for his regular
months salary OF sl66 from that de-
partment, and the claim was allowed.
At the same meeting claim was al
lowed to the same clerk who, presum-
ably had put In his services In the in
terests of the state in that department
and had deem paid for 1t, for $3.50 for
legal services for the code commission
er, making total OF s4l6 allowed this
one clerk for this months services.
There is certainly need for economy
In state affairs when clerks can draw
double pay and more.
Another instance OF the extravagant |
manner in which the peoples taxes !
are wasted is furnished in the land |
department. Notwithstanding that
department was granted the great sum |
OF $4,000 for the conduct of the bust. |
ness OF the Office, against $4,000 |
granted to the Morrison administra-
tion just before the Gooding admin
istration, the chief clerk OF the Office |
and the clerk receiving the next high
est salary receiving totalof sla5 per
month from that Office, have been paid /
during the entire term from a fund
from which the legislature never made |
any appropriation at all, and in face |
OF the very strong language OF the leg.
stature in attempting TO prevent
this very thing when 1t said that the
was for "all expenses OF
every kind or nature whatsoever"
How could stronger language be used
than that to indicate the intention OF
the legislature to require the state land
BOARD to keep its entire expenses with
IN that amount and to use no other
money! Yet an examination Of the
records discloses the fact that its two
clerks outside the register
himself are not paid from the fund
provided at all but another independ-
mt fund has been found from which
payments are made.
or course, the board will claim that
lnasmuch rs much Of the business Of
The land board is that Of looking after
carey act land matters, it is no more
than right that part of the expenses
Oh the work should be borne by that
Iund. But the leyiSlatnra cl..,,