Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-11-05
RACE IN SALARY RAISING AT
MADISON.

Merlin Hull, speaker of the assem-
bly, in the Wisconsin legislature, is,
when at home, editor and publisher
of newspaper, the Jackson County
Journal, at Black River Falls.
Throughout the session of 1913 he was
a consistent advocate of economy, but
in spite of his efforts this legislature
has the record for extravaganza and
the largest appropriations ever known
in Wisconsin-thirtY- six million dol
lars for the cost of running the state
and its institute ms during the next
two years.
AS an illustration of the way in
which the peoples money is being
dissipated. a realization of which
will come to every property owner
when he comes to pay his taxes next
winter, the following article was
written by Speaker Hull and pub
lished in a recent issue of his paper.
A bill was put through the last
Legislature, giving the heads of depart.
ments in the state government the
privilege of fixing the salaries of
their subordinates. The writer op-
posed the bill when it came before
the assembly, urging that the power
of fixing salaries should be entirely
in the legislature, but it was nicely
explained that the object of the bill
was to equalize salaries in the Depart
rments. and that the department. heads
knew more of the value Of the service
rendered than the members of the
Legislature could possibly learn, and
the bill went through. Now, within
thirty days after the adjournment of
the Legislature, we read long lists
of salary increases at the state
capitol, the increases ranging from
500 to 5000 per annum. Probably
from now on it will be something of
salary raising match between the
department heads and the university
regents as to which can increase the
greatest number of salaries in a given
length of time.
The high cost of living, value of
expert service, and many other reasons
will figure in each raise, but from
the start made thus far the high cost
of living seems to affect only those
who are already drawing the best
salaries. The janitors, laborers.
char women and other wage earners
at low salaries do not seem to figure
on the increased cost of existance in
the capitol city. We do not claim
to know the various reasons assigned
for the increases which have been
made, nor do we desire to condemn
every increase made in the state
service, but it ought to be apparent to
almost anybody acquainted in the
smallest degree with the trend of
events that if things at Madison keep
on skyrocketing in every direction
those who are applauding the beauty
of the FIRE works are likely to be
lodging the sticks as they fall Some
dismal election morn the people of
the state may rise in anger, go to the
polls utterly forgetful of progressive
principles, and do something which
hasn't been done since the fall of
1899. In such event, even our civil
service law might be torn off the books
and some now strangers to the state
pay roll might desire to try out the
cost of living at Madison by render
ing more or less expert or non expert
service to the state at salaries which
have been so lately and so numerously
increased. The people may not have
definite remedy for the high cost of
living, but they may conclude to
try out remedy for the high cost of
taxation. "