The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-04-21
DEMOCRATS
GETTING INTOACTION

That the doorkeeper OF the house OF
representatives has his l3-year.old
daughter on the payroll as clerk 10
the doork eeper," at a salary of $1,000
year, with an extra months pay, was
one of many uniqe discoveries made by
Congressman A. Mitchell Palmer, ofthe
WAYS and means committee, while In
vestigating useless positions on the
house payroll. Palmer's retrenchment
program was unanimously adopted by
the Democratic membership, rejecting
the greatest of credit upon the young
Pennsylvania member, who has come
10 be recognized as one of the strong
leaders of the house. The position OF
"clerk to the doorkeeper" will be
abolished.
Although the clerks document room
and all the offices therin was abolished
by statute in 1895, the salaries aggrega-
ting S8260 went right on. The Repub-
lican machine needed the patronage,
and why be discouraged by little
thing like a statute?
six useless but expensive house COM
mittees will be abolished, saving ST.
600 year.
A saving of $4,000 year will be ef-
fected through dispensing with the ser
vices of two attendants to the old IL
brary space. These positions we're
created when the library was in the
capitol. The library was removed
many years ago. Since then the two
attendants have had nothing to attend
to but blank space. 1t was an easy Job'
Two night watchmen charged to the
folding room will be dropped. Seven
ty- four policemen are on duty at the
capitol, and unless the two stalwart
Republican night watchmen watched
the police, it is difficult to understand
how they put in their time.
Here is another illustration of waste
fulness in running the government
Before the telepone was invented
telegraph wire was constructed be-
tween the capitol and war department
for quick communication. Since the
telephone has come into existence it
has been used exclusively, But the
Jobs of the two telegraphers remained.
At last they are to be abolished. saw
ing, S2sOO annually.
During the Spanish war" says Mr.
Palmer, somebody's friend told some-
body's cousin that somebody's aunt
had heard someone say that plot was
OH foot to dynamite the capitol. Thlr-
ty-eight extra policemen were added.
They have remained ever since"
The Palmer committee believes the
danger is over now, and will have
thirty-four private policemen and one
lietenant given permanent leave OF
absence. Saving, S39, 900 annually.
Retrenchment in the house alone
sums up as follows:
Saving under speaker---.-------.-----S 2 2'5z0
Saving under clerk--------------------- 6g'9lU
Saving under erFeant-at-arms------- 4I,O0O
Saving under doOrkeeper-------------- 3I,84O
Saving through abolishing extra ,oo
months pay .---------------------- ---- OO'VOO
SAYING tfr0nen oiA u'Vlos $4,000
Saving through abolishing speakers ooo
automobile ------.-------------------- O'OOO
Total annual saving -----slSo'ooO
Economy in public expense, that
labor may be lightly burdened," has
Just begun in Washington. One de-
partment after another will be taken
up by the Democrats, and wherever
they have the power, they will abolish
useless offices and substitute a business
administration for wastefulness and
extravaganza.