The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-12-29

ances regarding these matters except
TO be a candidate for a second term.
Readers interested may rely upon that
as genuine: all the others are bogus
or distorted reports OF tentative plans
which are subject 10 change; and most
of them are deliberately manufactured
by personal newspaper enemies who
will take keen delight If they can even
slightly hamper and embarass the new
state administration.-S saginaw Cour-
| err Herald.
II is predicted i'm some quarters that
Governor Osborn will meet with stub
born opposition i'm his endeavor Ia
clean up things at Lansing because his
program of reform contemplates cut
ting out a number of useless offices.
There isn't a doubt of this. Advo-
eating the abolition of an office of this
kind years ago, the writer remarked.
anent the difficulty i'm the way of Sc
curing proper action: THE business of
the public seems to be conducted on
the assumption that the only useless
offices are those which have not yet
been created, and that no office that
has been created can ever, by any
change of conditions. outlive its use
fulness AS il is there are so few Of
fees in proportion TO the number who
are eager TO serve the state that the
tendency is, and will probably con-
tinue TO be. favorable to the creation
a
than to the abolition of those which,
though having once had a reason for
their being, have survived it and
should be abolished"
Since the housekeeping" TO which
the incoming governor stands commit
Of positions of the kind alluded to in
the quoted remarks there is sure To
be an effort made by incumbents of
these places and those who expected
to become incumbents on the accession
To power of the new chief executive, to
prevent their abolition.
But we cannot have retrenchment in
the conduct of state affairs worthy the
name. or effective for the purpose of
cutting down the cost of . conducting
the state government in all it's various
branches. unless il strikes at the very
root of the extravaganza of which so
much complaint has been heard. and
which is bearing fruit in a steadily in
creasing tax rate. If there was any
one thing more than another that the
voters of Michigan declared for when
they made Mr.. Osborn governor ii was
for the very reform that we are now
told is to meet with strenuous and de-
termined opposition. 1t will be found,
too, that some of those who were
among the most ardent of Mr.. Osborn's
supporters for the gubernatorial NOM
ination last summer, and in the gen.
eral election following, will be among
those who will endeavor to balk his
purpose when he undertakes to re-
duce the number Of places at the dis
posal of the chief executive of the
state. Supporters of his of this class
applauded his ante-election declara-
tions because they believed he didn't
mean what he said, and would treat
the platform on which he stood as a
candidate with little consideration
when he became governor When they
found they were mistaken in the man
they were sorely disappointed, and
they may be expected to now line up
against him with vociferous complaint
that he is mot true to his friends"
Reformers of this kind are quite COM
T1ln In orIa,
TO get in power, or get others in who
will help them into snug places, but
when II comes to abolshing useless of
fees which they expected to get, or
cutting down expenditures to the det-
riment of office holders and for the
benefit of the people who foot the bills.
they are invariably for letting we'll
enough alone" and opposed to change.
Governor Osborn meant what he
said when he promised to do certain
things that will result in giving the
people of Michigan better government
at less cost to the taxpayers than
has been the rule latterly. If the leg
islature does not stand with him for
the reforms he will seek to inaugurate,
the blame will lie with that body. 1t
may be that he will be blocked in what
he undertakes to do toward reduce
| ing the cost of government in Michigan
as Governor Hughes was in New York
when he sought to effect needed re-
forms in that state. In that event he
| can be relied on to put the matter up
to the people of Michigan as Governor
Hughes did to the people of New York
when he Joined issue with his oppo-
nents in the legislature of that state
who sought to balk him. leaving it to
their constituents to bring the buck
ings law makers TO a sense of duty.
The people of Michigan will do that
with the recreants when the opportun-
! ity offers.
Meanwhile IL will be well for the
voters TO watch the course of their
representatives in the legislature on
| these matters during the session which
opens next week. Michigan is paying
out thousands of dollars every year for
which no value is received. II they
want that kind of extravaganza put a
stop TO they should stand by Governor
/ Osborn when he seeks IN apDlV the