The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-07-08
SUCCESSFUL
HADLEY IDEA
NEW OIL INSPECTION LAW PRO.
TEcTs THE PEOPLE AND
PAYS THE STATE.
An Army Of Political Favorites Mus
tered Out Of Party Service and
Their Fees Turned Into the
state Treasury.

as inspectors and deputy inspectors
of petroleum oils. They held their
commissions by appointment OF a
Democratic governor and were privi-
legged to collect fees for their inspec-
lions and appropriate them to their
own use, except where such fees ex-
ceeded a limit that none but the st.
Louis inspector ever reached. Under
the law governing coal oil 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 to
$6,30S, but in 1908 only $5,S72. Not
a cent did the state get from other
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 to 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 it understood, these
''plums,' these little official gratis, did
not fall into hands that could not be
employed to build political fences for
the governor who shook the plum tree
or for the nag who ran the party
behind the governor.
Why does Governor Hadley want to
break up such a convenient and pow
erful band of party workers and turn
their fees into The general revenue
fund? was the question that arose in
the minds of practical politicians
when the new Republican governor
asked the legislature to repeal the old
Goa oil inspection law and enact a
now one providing for only n chief
inspector and a very few deputies
six is the limit-and to provide for
them moderate salaries to do all the
work don by more than two hundred
inspectors. 1t was a queer procedure,
viewed from the standpoint of prac-
tical politicians, as a governor could
make two hundred coa oil inspectors
mighty useful in his politics.
But Governor Hadley is not a prac-
teal politician-at least not in the
ordinary meaning of that common po-
iitical term. He is very practical as
the executive officer of a great state,
but not as a politician seeking his own
selfish ends or the interests of his
party. He could not be made to be-
lieve that dealers in oil should be re-
quired to pay fees for the support OF
an army of inspectors who were not
required ever to report their collec-
tons.
Governor Hadley caused a bill to be
drawn and introduced in the legisla-
ture repeating the old law and placing
the inspection of petroleum oils in the
hands of an inspector, under heavy
bond, whose stamps and certificates of
inspection should come from the state
treasurer and whose collections should
all go into the state treasury, and
whose salary and expenses, as well
as the salaries and expenses Of his
deputies, should be audited by the
state auditor and paid only on the
warrant of that official.
The bill passed, and in due time
Governor Hadley appointed Hon. Rush
G. Lake as Inspector of Petroleum
Oils" Mr.. Lake looked over the sit
uation and decided that an office at
Kansas City and one at st. Louis
would be sufficient to handle the in
spection of all oils under his jurisdic'
ton, and that three or -four deputies,
(who receive only $1,000 a year, each)
could do the work under his super
vision. So there are nov less than six
deputy inspectors at work n the
total expenditures Of the entire de
partment will not exceed $4,000 fol
the period of two years. In fact, thai
is the amount appropriated by the
legislature for salaries and all ex
penses of the inspector and his depu
ties for two years. The receipts o.
the state from oil inspections during
the period covered by the a%ppropria
ton will be more than five times tina
amount. In fact, about $175,000 viii
doubtless be derived by the state from
this department for each biennial pc
riod, and the gross amount may be IL
excess of these figures. And ever!
gallon of oil subject to inspection i
inspected. Every dealer in oils ant
every consumer is safely ~protecte'
and the oil trade is satisfactorily reg
ulated.
Nothing in the line of practical leg
islstion 30 aptly illustrates the goo
business judgment and broad politica
vision of Governor Hadley as this Goa
oil inspection lava law he Pre-
posed, virtually framed and almos
forced through the legislature. 1t de
stroyed more than one hundred az
pointive Jobs" that he might hav
given to his political friends-job
that were paying from $500 to $500
a year, and in st. Louis about $4,000
1t turns into the treasury annual
enough money to pay all Of the sals