The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-07-14
SUCCESSFUL
HADLEY IDEA
NEW OIL INSPECTION Law PRO.
TEcTs THE PEOPLE AND
PAYS THE STATE.
An Army Of Political Favorltcs Mus.
tered Out OF Party Service and
Their Fees Turned Into tho
state Treasury.

as inspectors and deputy inspectors
OF petroleum oils. Thoy held their
commissions by appointment or O.
Democratic governor and were priv,
legged to collect fees for their iuspcc.
tons and appropriate them 20 their
" use, except where such fees exc
ceoded a limit that none but the So.
Louis Inspector ever reached. Under
the law governing coal Oh inspection
the fees Of the inspector at ST. Louis
In excess Of $1,000 a year had TO be-
turned into the state treasury. In
907 these excess fees amounted 10
SG,3OS. but in 1905 only S5.372. Not
q cent did the state get from ether
inspectors. And for many years the
state did not derive a cent from ST..
Louis fees-not during the palmy days
Of Democratic rule when getting
money out OF the treasury was para
mount te putting money into it..
This little army of coal oil inspect
ors Was mighty handy for Democratic
governors who had The privilege OF
appointing them and handy FOR
Democratic party managers who could
use them for, be 10 understood. these
'plums, these little official crafts. ala
% fam into hands that could not bs
employed % build political fences for
the governor who shook tht plum tree
or for the managers who ran the party
behind the governor.
Why does Governor Hadley want 10
break up such a convenient and DOW.
crfll band OF party workers and turn
their fees into the general revenue
fund? was the question that arose .u
the minds of practical politicians
when the new Republican governor
asked the Legislature TO- repeal tla old
coal oil inspection law and .u.e.
now one providing for only one chief
Inspector and a very few dgpu.lus-
six Is the lmit-aud 90 provide for
them moderate salaries o. do a. r.a
work done by more han tEo lualgaI
inspectors. 10 was q queer procedure.
viewed from the stIndu5.u, OK Ia.
teal politicians, ls a governor could
make two hundred coal OH inspectors
mighty useful in his politics.
But Governor lIaIlcy SIS not "a prlc.
teal politicians least NOT .a .a.
ordinary meaning OF that common g9.
htical term. lie IS very practical u.s.
the executive officer OF a great state.
but not as a politician seeking H.a uau
selfish ends or the interests uf U.s
party. He could not be made l0 boz
lieyo that dealers la OH should b. ly
qulred TO pay fees Tor thp slUnuI. col.
an army OF inspectors who were lu,
required even 20 rep0r, tAe.r calleg.
lions.
Governor Hadley CAUSED o bin 90 0o
drawn and introduced iu tho luHIa.a
ture repeating the old law and placing
the inspection OF petroleum oils lu -ae
hands OF an Inspector. under heavy
bond, whose stamps and certificate. OF
inspection should come ,rom .uu state
treasurer and whose collection. ..r.l
all 90 into the state treasury. aud
whose salary and expenses gs WuIl
as the salaries and expenses To-. bis
deputies. should Dee audited ay tas
state auditor and paid uGIg ga .al
warrant of that official
The bill passed. and m cue time
Governor HaJlcy appointed Hon Rush
c. Lake as Inspector OF Petroleum
Oils Mr. Lake looked owe. the STE
uati0n and decided that au Office at
Kansas City and one 40 SL Louis
would De sufficient to handle Jge i1-
Bpectlon VI an oils under his luflal.c.
ton. and that three OF flgr dunutIH..
lwho receive only $1,000 o. year. cacAl
could do the work under Dis super.
vision. So there are now less cham .i4
deputy inspectors at work and ja1
total expenditures OF tho cutie au.
partmeut viii not exceed $4,000 Tor
the period OF two years. lu Lagt. EnHf
10 tho amount appropriated ug tH.
legislature FOR salaries and al u.
pensCa OF the inspector and h.. dnIl
ties for two years. The rru...I r.
tho state from Oh inspections ,a.u.
the period covered by the appIUpTla
ton VIII be moro than ave Times .at'
amount lu fact. about $4,000 yIl
doubtless bee derived by the state from
this department Tor each biennial p.
riod, aud tho gross amount may Doe lu
excess OF these figures And gysrg
gallon or oil subject 20 inspection 90
inspected. Every dealer Boa oils and
every Consumer "a safely protected
mi the OIL trade Is satisfactorily rsa
ulatCd.
Nothing IN the line OF practical Iaa
islation so aptly illustrates Jua Eand
business Judgment and broad political
vision OF Governor uadIey a5 .h'a coal
oil inspection lava law hc pro.
posed, virtually framed and glma.
forced through the legislature IL De-
stroyed more than one hundred OPP
pointiye "jous thar he might have
given 10 his political T.erls jobs
THAI We're paying from $500 90 $4,000
a year, ana lu 81. Louis about $4,000
n turns iuto the treasury annually
enough money 10 pay an OF the sala
ric8 of tho executive OFFICERS OF the .
state government 10 makes coal 90
inspection @ dlgnihed state process iu.
stead OF a petty grant, us DC was 10
MANY U.uCts under The old law.