The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-05-12

taxpayer makes "a Iull return o. all
his money and credits as required
by the law"
According to The Long Prairie
Leader the state legislature which
recently closed its session was the
most extravagant this commonwealth
has ever witnessed The leader de-
votes several pages to the legisla
ture. saying among other things:
THE facts are shocking. They will
dumbfound and appall the most in.
different and calloused of our citi-
zens. The session has been charac-
terized by the most outrageous petty
grating and the expense account
has been swelled by the purchase of
thousands of dollars worth of un-
necessaries.
DO you know that the session
just adjourned cost the people of the
state $349,000? Did you know that
this was the expense incurred for a
session that lasted only ninety days
and contained but seventy-seven
working days?
Sum Eaten Up BY Employees.
did you know that of this vast
sum, $135,0O0 was eaten up by sal
aries of employees and bills for of
flee supplies and stationery?
Did you know that the legislature
gave employment to nearly as many
clerks and door keepers as there
were members and that, with the
exception of fifteen pages, none were
paid less than So per day and many
of them as high as 81 and SO per
day?
did you know that the bill for
bought and which you will have to
pay amounted to more than $1,000?
Fountain Pen Expenditure.
did you know that the members
authorized the purchase of nearly
$4,000 worth of fountain pens and
that the total number of pens bought
would, if evenly distributed have
given four pens to each member?
Did you know that the legislature
voted to make you buy the members
their matches, match safes, key
rings, shoe backing, shoe brushes,
hair combs, hair brushes, etc, and
that these items cost you nearly
$500?
did you know that they used
your money to buy law books to the
amount of $1,4559O and that after
the session was ended every volume
but one was taken home by certain
members?
Scissors for SoIons.
did you know that you bought
two pairs of scissors for every leg
slative member-that is, if the num-
Der bought was distributed evenly,
which they of course were not-and
that you paid $3347O for them?
Did you know that after the ses-
sion adjourned all of the stationery
and supplies left and everything
movable and not nailed down was
carried away and to the homes OF
the petty grafters?
did you know that Of this vast
quantity of supplies paid for, but a
small quantity comparatively was
lsed by the members in session,
md that of the balance there is now
m the custody of the capitol custo-
lian goods to the value of approx
nately $154?
Did you realize that this means an
other bill for equipment for you to
pay two years hence?
The ltemized Lists.
The itemized record shows that
approximately $4,000 worth of mis-
cellaneous office supplies were
bought by the legislature with the
peoples money. The editor of The
Leader personally checked up the
supplies as returned to the office of
he custodian Of the capitol and here
s what is left: Thirty-two common
nix wells, eight eyelet punches, six
copy holders, five bill files, two
stamp affixers, one protectograph,
one copy of code.
Approximate value of goods re-
turned by legislators, 1854. Deduct
value Of supplies legitimately used
Turing the seventy-seven working
lays of session and you can figure
)ut for yourselves how much the
solons carried home with them. Here
s the list: tfSSEVA
l.212 pocket knives. ...... 81 ,252 AZ
685 fountain pens. ........ 1914 .S5
Ink Wells. ......... 28O. 80
Envelope openers. ..... 105 so
Typewriter paper. .... 2,110. SO
Carbon paper. ... 956 so
Pencils 281 20
Pens 81 35
Pins q. 20
Rubber bands. ....... 1874. 90
252 scissors ...... 1874 10