The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-01-14

toV AdISe 10 De commensurate with the
services which the officers render to the
State and the corps of assistants has
been so enlarged as to become a burden
to the taxpayers OF Indiana. | therefore
recommend, in the interests of economy,
that you Immediately employ a non-parti-
san expert, if need be, residing out of
this State, to enter the various offices in
the State House. examine the work which
is done therein, report to the committee
on appropriations what would be a lib
eral salary for the official, how much
clerical assistance he needs, what such
assistance should be paid. and what Of
hces, if any. can be abolished without
detrlment to the public service. In the
interests of integrity | recommend that
you put every official in Indiana upon a
fixed. definite and certain salary, to
which. by no construction of law. shall
any sum be ever added the adoption of
uniform system of bookkeeping; the
examination of public records at irregu-
lar intervals in such manner as will not
interfere with the right of local self-goy-
eminent; the auditing of all public ac-
counts, showing in every instance upon
such account the original contract or the
section of the statute authorizing the
payment of the money and requiring all
vouchers issued in pursuance thereto to
have like showing: the abolition of
county councils. township advisory boards,
and perhaps other officials; the putting of
county commissioners and all other pub
lie officials under adequate bond. with a
proviso that the statute of limitations
shall not begin to run either criminally
against the official or civilly against his
bondsmen until after notice and demand
to repay; preventing any official of this
State either individually or as a member
of a corporation from entering into or
deriving any profit whatever from any
public contract; requiring all fines. fees
and forfeitures to be entered on the pub
lie records, promptly collected, turned
into the treasury, and making the official
whose duty it is to collect liable upon
his bond if he does not collect the same
whenever collectible: and providing for
the food and clothing of prisoners in
jails and elsewhere at actual cost upon
open bids received therefor.
The public is not only DESTROYS of hav-
ing frequent investigation of all public
offices, but such Investigations are a check
not only upon dishonesty. but also upon
extravaganza. The system of fees and
contingent allowances is likely TO lead 10
extravagant and unwarranted use of pub
lie funds. l therefore recommend the in
vestigation of the public Offices under the
State government for the purposes of as
certaining whether there has been any
extravaganza in their management and
whether the letter of the law has been
strained in order to obtain extra allow
ances.
In my judgment, the election law
should be SO amended as to definitely pro-
vide for speedy returns and the safe
guarding of the same TO the satisfaction
of all parties interested in an election !:
for the contest of Offices in such way as
TO guarantee a solution of the contest :;
and for the adoption of n primary law
not only for the nomination of candidates.
but for the election of delegates to all
State and other conventions. to the end
that the people may not turn their gov
eminent over to the hands Of designing
politicians. And l suggest that in such
primary election the people be permitted
to vote upon their choice for United
States Senator.
The General Assembly of this State in
1905 enacted what is commonly called
"A Railroad Commission Law In 1907
{ either passed or pretended to pass an
act amending certain sections thereof.
The preamble is vague, uncertain and
GnaS Disclose what aaf or rod
to be amended. Whether the present COM
mission is de jure and whether its orders
are legal. are mooted questions. To pre-
vent useless litigation. | recommend the
repeal of all acts upon the subject and the
passage of new one, providing that no
more than two of the commissioners shall
be of the same political party. that one
shall be an attorney having knowledge of
and experience in railroad and transpor-
tation law. and another shall have knowl-
edge Of the mechanical part of railroad
ing.
The problem confronting the people of
this State with reference to corporations
and stock and bonds which have been
watered. is one that cannot be equitably
adjusted offhand 1t must, however be
true that as the corporation is the crea-
ture of the State. the State must, by
every implication Of law. retain the right
to control and regulate the corporation. |
recommend, therefore. an amendment of
the corporate laws of Indiana in toto if
possible. if not, to the extent that here
after a dollars worth in money or in
property Of the fair value thereof in the
market must go into every corporation
for every dollar of stock. and no bonds
lar shall pass into the treasury of the
corporation floating the same.
This people will not tamely submit to
the creating of an Office holding class,
because that class soon comes to stand
with the administration and soon believes
itself TO be the master and not the SER
want of the people. At the same time
they do demand competency in Office.
Though in the Offices of the State the
clerical assistance should be representa-
tive of the party in power, still l sug-
eest that you at least consider whether
a system Of examination can not be
adopted so that if either Democrats or
Republicans are employed, they shall be
competent to discharge the duties of their
offices.
The Department of Inspection in In
diana should be revised and put upon a
business and scientific basis. The Office
of oil inspector is run upon the vicious
fee system. | recommend that the de-
partment be reorganized, having a chief
inspector, whose sole duty shall be cler-
ical in taking charge of the reports of
the subordinate officers and seeing that
the fees are promptly paid into the State
treasury and that there be a deputy in
spector for each congressional district in
Indiana, one and no more, whose salary
shall be fixed with reference to the work
which has heretofore been done i'm the
several congressional districts Of Indiana.
the fees remaining as they are, but to be
covered into the State treasury.
The metropolitan police law is a viola
ton of the doctrine of local self-govern-
ment. | recommend its immediate repeal.
There are certain phases of proposed
legislation which can scarcely be distin-
guished from paternalism or socialism.
SfhampS of all kinds will no nrpspnted IN