The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-21
Men the Wayne County Sem
ator Has Appointed to Of
flee Have in Every Case
Been Efficient Workers.
GIVEN PRAISE BY HIS
SENATE ASSOCIATES
AL Spekenhier Proved a Model
Chief Engrossing Clerk
While Edgar N. Haas Was a
Fine Minute Clerk.
Palladium Bureau,
Indianapolis, Jan. 81.

indianapolis, Jan. 81.
There is one noticeable thing about
Senator kirkman, of Wayne county.
in the senate and that is that in max
ing appointments to fill the jobs that
are allotted to him he always selects
men who are capable of doing the
work. Senator Krkman has been in
the senate long time, and he has
yet to make the first mistake in the
selection Of a man for place in the
senate. so far as ability to do the
work is concerned.
Has Had Hard Jobs.
And Senator Kirkman has some
times been given some of the hardest
jobs to fill, too. Four years ago when
the patronage of the senate was par
celed out among the senators by the
plunder committee Senator Kirkman
was asked to appoint some man to
fill the position of chief engrossing
clerk. 1t is one of the most difficult
positions to fill in the entire senate
and most of the senators renig when
1t is offered to them. The place re-
quires a man who is a thorough busi-
ness man. an expert accountant. q
careful, diligent worker and q good
peuman. .B0ch combination 10 hard
to find. But Senator Kirkman, when
the place was offered him to fill, told
the plunder committee that there
were men In Wayne county who could
fill any position that might be select
ed for then, and that he would find a
first class man for the job. So he
went back home and offered the posi-
master Of Richmond. Spekenhier's
experience in the bank and other high
class positions had fitted him for the
place most admirably, and when he
agreed to accept the place Senator
Kirkman knew he had found the right
man.
"Ar' Went to Work.
So Spekenhier went to work. Under
him was a number Of clerks that had
been appointed by other senators, and
1t soon developed that they had not
been appointed because of their fit
| ness for the places but because of
their political qualifications.
Spekenhier had been in the position
| only few days when he went to
Kirkman one day and told him that
there were only two men on the force
| that were competent to do the work.
The rest, he said. were incompetent
The work was piling up and the
clerks were not able to keep up with
| it.
But Spekenhier told Senator Kirk.
man that he would jump into 1t HIM
self and see il the work could not be
| taken care of properly, and he did
on the bills until midnight or after.
He is a good penman and he copied
many of the bills himself. Then Sen
ator Kirkman got through the senate
measure for some of the bills to be
copied on typewriters instead of by
hand. and this relieved the pressure
| But it all proved that Senator Kirk
man had appointed the right man for
the position of chief clerk
Selects Ed Haas.
| Two years ago Senator Kirkman
was allowed to fill the position ol
minute clerk in the senate, one of the
very difficult places to fill. Again he
made good appointment by picking
Edward NJ. Haas. of Richmond, fol
1
the session in manner that stamped
him as thoroughly competent for the
trying position. and again proved Sen
ator Kirkman's statement that there
were men in Wayne county who could
do any kind of work
| This session Senator Kirkman drew
one doorkeeper as his share of the
patronage, and this time he went into
Union county and appointed Ed Wild
ener former sheriff of that county
for the place WideEer has made
good. In fact. he is one of the bes'
doorkeepers the senate has this ses
sion.
Some OF the other senators have
been remarking about the men ap
pointed by Senator Kirkman. They
are recognized as efficient employees
4 have found" said one senator
yesterday, that Senator KirkmaI
q good party worker, or because h<
wishes TO favor some particular re
fpublican. He seems TO make his selec
tons to fit the positions that he hal
to NIL 1t would be much better and