The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-02-07


Indiana counties. came here and re-
manned for many days, living at high
priced hotels and spending their money
while they were looking after bills
which would have given them more
pay. They wanted the legislature to
change the law so that they would re-
ceive fifty percent instead of thirty
percent of the excess fees which they
earn in their Offices above the amount
of their salaries This would amount
to several thousand dollars a year in
some of the larger counties.
ALSO FROM LAKE.
County commissioners from some OF
the counties also were represented here.
Bills were introduced to give some of
them larger salaries, especially those of
Allen. st. Joseph, Lake. vigo and
Marion counties. This bill has passed
the Senate and is now in the House.
where undoubtedly, it will die since
the House has placed itself on record
as declining to grant any increases in
salaries.
| But In the last few days most of
these officials from all over the state
have disappeared from the state house
and the hotels are not doing as great a
business now as they did. The salary
hunters have found that 1T is no use to
fool around about it any longer. They
may well go home and be satisf fed
with what they are receiving.
TOO LATE NOW.
These men knew what they ould
receive for their services before they
were elected to ONCE" said one mem
Der of the House in discussing the mat
ter. IF they were not satisfied with
the salary of the Office they had no
| business to run for It,.
| That seems to be the sentiment that
rules in the present instance and which
has caused the house to take its stand
| against salary increases.
| The stand taken by the house is re-
garded here as not only long step in
the direction of economy. but 1t is re-
garded, too as clever piece of Demo :
cratic politics. pulled of by Speaker
VeEeman and Representative Merrima
| chairman OF the fees and salaries COM
mittee and Representative Smith, chair
man of the county and township COM
mittee. When the salary boosting bills
began to pour in form everywhere,
most of them introduced by Democrat
members. Speaker veneman was mucn
exercised. He talked with number of
Democratic members and told them
that this was no time for increasin &
salaries 1t would mean an increase in
taxes, and he pointed out that 1T would
be dangerous to the Democrats to do
such a thing He made a quiet but
defective campaign against boosting
salaries. with the effect that when the
time came for action he had the Demo
lcratic majority and many of the Repub-
licans behind him.
The speaker suggested to the members
that he's n of N
embarrassing situation was TO adopt a
resolution of the kind wnich he pro-
posed. In this< resolution attention is
called to the fact that it has never been
, revised. 1t says that undoubtedly the
law needs revision as a whole but that
!, it would be impossible to make a sat-
isfactory revision by piecemeal. It d.
reefs the state accounting board to
make a thorough investigation of all
of the public offices of the state and as
certain the amount of work done, the
, amount of help required to do the work
the amount such help costs. the salaries
| of all officials and all Information which
can be obtained on the subject general
ly. The board is directed to compile all
of this date and present 1t to the legis
lature at the session of 1913 in order
that that Legislature may be able to
take up the question OF revising the
fee and salary law as a whole and Ii
: an intelligent manner.
The resolution was introduced By
Representatives Merriman and Smith
That the house majority was much II
> earnest about its determination t,
grant no salary increases was shown b,
the fact that Speaker veneman took tn,
. floor in defense of the resolution an,
! urged its adoption without committee
faction. Representative Wasmuth, of tn
f, minority. sought TO block the movement
: by having the resolution referred 4
!, the fees and salaries committee. blu
he was overriden by viva voce vote
Speaker veneman. when on the floor
said
Until the Legislature has some sue
data on which to proceed it will be i'm
: possible to make any sensible change
). in the county and township salary lisi
}; No doubt there are men in publ
/ oA6car IN Tho Stotc ho re~1 ~aIso& fo~~