The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-11-16
MANY POSITIONS ARE FILLED
Commission Declares That State is Get
ting Better Service as result of
Careful Work of Men in Charge of
Commission.

the commission, to be a grand success
despite the fact that the commission
has been charged with being the NOSE
powerful political body in the state
and controlled by men now holding
state or national offices to which they
were elected by the people Of this state.
1t is known that state employees, given
positions after passing examinations
conducted under rules of the commits.
sion, have been ''fxedD in order to
make room for the hi1elings of certain
office holders. They made no fight to
retain their positions because the be-
ieved such fight would be useless. This
has been charged against the state
fish and game warden S department as
well as the department of state oil in
spection. It is now probable that ac-
lions will be brought and facts relative
to the work of the state civil service
commission and Of the control of de-
partments by certain officials, will be
brought to light and the people Of
Wisconsin will learn how political ma
chimes are being built up.
Mr.. Doty in statement made rela-
tive to the states merit board covers
that board with great flowers and he
declares it to be the best, most judicial
and fair board ever created. Mr.. Doty
in his report claims that the cost of
legislative clerks has been reduced by
the merit board 40 per cent in FIVE
years. He says nothing of the dismiss
al of clerks from service and without
cause, it is claimed.
Mr.. Doty in his report says.
"The 1911 session of the Wisconsin
legislature required only one third as
many employees as the session Of 1901,
and the average cost for legislative
clerical help has been reduced As PEI
cent in the past five years, or since
the installation of the civil service
system. These facts are shown by the
records of the state civil service com
mission.
While there are several states
which have civil service commissions.
Wisconsin is the only one that selects
employees of the legislature by the mer-
it rule. Opportunities for sienifcan*
comparisons are numerous. In 1901.
for example, when employees were chosen
under the spoils system, it required a
clerical force of 255 at an AVERAGE
daily expense of 1902 to assist the
lawmakers. In 1907 the same work
was done by 105 employees selected by
civil service rules at an average daily
cost of only 1887.
The session Of the legislature which
ended July II last, cost the state an
proximately $4,000 for clerical help. an
average dali yexpense Of about $685.. In
1901 it cost the state $3.50 for lepis-
lative clerical help for each bill intro.
duced during the session. The cost Der
bill in the 1909 session was only $32.79
and the figures indicate that the cost
for the last session was about $50 per
bill. This is in striking comparison
with the Legislature of Illinois which
elected I.orimer. Upon above basis.
each bill introduced in that legislature
cost $113.'
Secretary Doty has compiled a re-
port which shows that the average sal
airy cost for legislative service in the
twenty-six leading states in the Union
was $463.34. The last session in Wis
consin cost 1885 per day. Minnesota
and Iowa, Wisconsin IS next door neioh-
bors, pay their employees 1864 and $7ls
per day for legislative work. Illinois
paid $S9l.47 per day and had seven
times as many employees as there are
on the roster of the Wisconsin legisla.
ture. The little state of Maryland ex-
pended 1856 a day-four times as
much as was paid in Wisconsin; and
Kansas contributed 1886 day for leo.
islative clerical service.
Secretary Doty's compilation for
Wisconsin shows that for the last eight
sessions of the legislature before the
civil service law was enacted the aver
age number of legislative EMPLOYEES re-
quired was POI, and the average cost
per day for their services was $433. 76.
It the last two sessions, when this law
was effective, the same work was done
by an average of 103 employees and at
an average cost per day of $299. SO.
Every bill introduced in the eight SEES
sions under the so-called spoils system,
from 1891 to 1905 inclusive, cost the
state $44.55 for legislative service:
while at the two sessions, 1907 and 1909
the cost per bill was reduced to $32.53.
The figures indicate that enough has
been saved in the decreased cost Of leg
islative employees alone to pay the pres
ent expense-about $4,000 annually
for the maintenance Of the civil service
commission. Meanwhile the civil serv
ice department ID increasing the eficiep-