The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-30
BY ]. d. Reese.

Tallahassee, Fla, April 2s.-The i'm
preston is growing that there was
3oker concealed in the resolution OF
Representative Smith of Clay, to in
vestigate the departments; not that
the representative intended it that way,
for he is credited with being sincere
and having nothing but the public in
terest in mind when he offered the
resolution, but as a result of the re-
ports made by the administrative OFF,
GERS two bills have been introduced to
increase salaries, one to make that of
the comptroller $4,000 a year and like
increase is being asked for the super
intendent of public instruction.
The Smith resolution called for a
statement from each of the admins
trative officers as to the fees and per-.
auisites received by each in addition to
his salary. The result was that the
secretary of state, the commissioner of
agriculture and the treasurer showed
an earning of considerable proportions
aside from their salaries The comp
troIIer and the superintendent of pub
lie instruction said that they had. re-
ceived nothing but their salaries, and
there was at once. within day or two,
a bill introduced to increase the comp
troller's pay, and the next day there
was a bill to increase the superintend-
ent's pay. The attorney generals de-
partment was not investigated, but Il
is probable that a bill to Increase the
salary of the office win be offered.
JENNINGS AFTER ELLIS.
Speaker Jennings said a few days
ago that the compensation of the at
torney generals office should be placed
at higher figure. Mr.. Jennings had
onered bill to abolish the off1ce OF
special attorney for the railroad COM
mission, upon the ground that the ex-
pense was useless and that the work
belonged properly to the duties Of the
attorney general. Mr.. Jennings thinks
the attorney general should do the
work, but he thinks he Should have
more money. Mr.. Jennings is also af-
ter the scalp OF Hon. w. H. Ellis, who
IS special attorney for the trustees Of
the internal Improvement fund at a
salary of s2.500 a year. Mr.. Ellis
holds the position of attorney for beth
the trustees and the board Of drainage
commissioners; he was elected in De-
cember, last year. His predecessor
was ex-Gov. Jennings, who received
$4,000 a year, but at that time heavy
litigation was pending between the
trustees and the railroads. which was
settled under Mr.. Jennings's direction.
II is recalled. however, that Mr.. Jen-
nings received $4,000 in extra COM
pensation on account of that litigation,
and Il is likely that the trustees
thought they were making some prog
ress in the direction of economy when
they employed Mr.. Ellis at the figure
stated. During the two years preced-
ing the employment of Mr.. Ellis the
attorney general, who is also a member
of the board. did the legal work for
the board, but the work is said to have
accumulated in such volume that the
employment Of special counsel was
considered advisable. The trustees
have some fifteen suits pending; suits
that involve some three million acres
OF land on the old land grants, so it
appears that former Governor Jen-
nings did not wipe out all the litiga-
tion. 1t is reported that Speaker Jen-
nings's bill win seek to abolish the Of
f1ce OF attorney to the trustees. The
report may be incorrect as to the YER
biage, for 1t may not be in the
straightest way effective to try to
abolish thing by law which has never
been created by law. The trustees are
an Independent body and in the ad-
ministration of the trust have a broad
scope Of authority.
SeontInued on paoe TNuol