The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1911-01-20
TO Swing big AK
THE LEGISLATURE MAY ABOLISH
SEVERAL uNiMPORTANT
STATE OFFICES
OFFICE OF ESTATE ENGINEER
Inspectors of Hotels and Telephones
are Among Those Most Likely
to be Singled Out as
OispensibIe

Pierre-If some of the contemplat-
ed legislation of the present SIS
sion is placed upon the statute boo S
there are some prominent state Off
GERS slated for the legislative Ak. The, e
is a movement in both houses to do
away with certain offices, which, il is
commended, are unnecessary or have
outgrown their usefulness.
Pc haps the most prominent of those
departments, whose very existence Is
in jeopardy, ia the Office of state en-
gineer Lea. A bill was introduced in
the house today by Halgerson, call ne
for the abolition of the office an
placing the department under the di-
rect supervision of the state survey or.
The office OF the state engineer wa
created by act of the Legislature in
1905. II calls for one expert hydro
graphic engineer and surveyor to be
appointed by the governor At a fixed
salary of e, 900 per year. Ar assistant
engineer is also provided for, the
salary being fixed at $1,508 per year.
This latter office is perhaps the only
assistant state position where the in
come is set by statute. In addition
appropriations are allowed for the
hiring Of field assistants and clerks
and for general and travelling expenses.
Allowance is made for what is known
as the photographic fund, to be used
for materials and incidentals. The
yearly appropriation for this fund is
$1,000.
Samuel H. Lea was appointed by
Governor Elrod, to the head of the
newly created department. At the
time Of his appointment Mr.. Lea was
in the government service at FIT.
Meade. but he assumed his new duties
July /, 1906. His term does not expire
till July 1, 1912.
The duties of the Office require the
making of photographic surveys Of all
lakes. rive S and streams in the state
which together with all the available
statistics concerning them, are to e
come a part of the records of TIE de
partment. In addition the department
liz made the court of last resort in any
questions or disputes on irrigation,
drainage and the application for wa er
right permits.
1t is claimed by those fostering the
bill. that no big irrigation projects
have beer undertaken by Mr.. Lea in
his official capacity. Mr.. Lea is cr'ti-
cided for his expenditure of the maxi
mum appropriations for his depart
ment. from which il is claimed, the
state has received little or no bene-t.
In his official capacity as supe- in
tending the construction of the state
house, Mr.. Lea received from h state
81 per day-this in addition to the
81, 900 per annum allowed him In his
Official capacity as state engineer.
From July 80, 1907 to March s, 1910,
he drew S4,554 for his services on the
building.
Following are the appropriations foi
the engineers department, since it was
created: 1906, $500; 1907, $1,000;
1908, $1,000; 1903, $4,000; 1910, IS 600
total, S39 zoo.
The above figures do not include the
81. 600 photographic fund, viii b FOL
the five years, would make tie total
IA. 200. Thus the total amount OF
money turned over to MIR. e for
his services as engineer and in the
maintenance of that department, 10
gether with the 81 per day allowed
him a superintendent of the construc-
tion work on the capitol, is brought
I'D to s4s,754.
REPRESENTATIVE Cranston introduced
house bill No. IS, calling for the aDoli-
ton of the offiGe of telephone insp CT
or. and a similar bill may be introduc'
ed to abolish the offise of hotel in.
spector. The former office was cseat'
ed in 1909, and the latter in 1907. The
plan is to put the duties of the note
inspector in the hands of the hre mar
shal in the department on insurance
and have the railroad commission r.
take care of the Business of teieDnons
inspector.
C. M. Hopkins, of Aberdeen, is tht
uresent hotel inspector He is TalC
solely by fees for inspecting hotel!
and all fees so received in excess q
81. $50 and expenses per year mist x
turned into the state treasury. w
E. Egge, is serving in the capacity O
telephone inspector and draws a sal
ary of s. loo per year.