Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1912-03-01
A DIVIDED RESPONSIBILITY

There seems to be a sort of a
monkey and parrot time in the
legislature. Some of its members
want to investigate for the purpose
Of stopping the leaks in the State
treasury. These members who are
so keen for an investigation seem
to ferget that if there is extrava-
gance in the State government that
the responsibility for it rests
largely on the present and past
legislatures. They created the
useless positions and fixed the
excessive salaries. They filled the
State offices with useless assist
ants whose principal duties are to
draw down the fat salaries at the
end of each month. 1t is through
the action of the legislature in
creating these positions that the
Capitol is filled with the wives,
daughters, aunts. niec.s and
nephews of the State officials, all
of whom are being supported at
the expense of the State. 1t
seems to a man up a tree that the
members of the legislature should
pi OK the beams out of their own
eyes before looking for the notes
that happen 10 be concealed in the
eyes of some state official.
Governor Oddie in his message
to the last regular session of the
Legislature urged an investigation
Of the financial condition of the
State with a view to retrenchment,
but no notice vas taken of that
recommendation by the very men
who are now so keen for an in
vestigation. WREN it will result in
keeping the legislature in session
at the taxpayers expense. Perhaps,
the $40 per day they are drawing
from the State treasury is an in
c%entive to their present demand
for a sweeping investigation.
Part of the responsibility is also
Governor Oddie's. He recon-
mended that some of the positions
now in the limelight should be
created and signed the acts Great
ing them. When he approved
those acts, thu officials created by
them were fastened upon the State
and had to be paid While he is
in a measure responsible for these
officials, his responsibility is no
greater than that of he men who
created them.
In response to the request that
he authorize an investigation
Governor Oddie replied with the
following letter:
Carson City. Feb. 26, 1912.
To the Honorable
The Ways and Means Committee
- a. andy.
Gentlemen:
have had under careful con-
sideratien the request of the SUBJ
committee of your Honorable
Committee, that | authorize the
Legislature to make an investiga-
tion of the various departments of
the State Government with a view
of ascertaining if a reduction
could advantageously be made in
its expenses. and decline the same
for the following reasons:
If Investigations of this kind
were made, they should of course
be thorough and impartial and
should cover all departments of
government. Such Investigations
would necessarily take consider
able time and would of necessity
p%rotract the present session. even
though il were possible to complete
the same before the constitutional
limitation. With the discussions
that usually follow recommended.
tions Of this kind | believe il to be
very doubtful il any satisfactory
results could be reached within
the time limit. 1t is very Easy to
make charges on a one-sided show
ing, which upon a thorough and
impartial investigation may take
on very different light.
am now, as | always have
been. in favor Of every reduction
possible to be made consistent with
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