The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1914-12-11
Friday Dec. ~ s1s1A
OFFICIAL VIOLATION OF THE
LAW

Iefent purpose, IS one tnat should
be severely condemned, even III
the practice be legal, which we
very much doubt.
If the legislature, for instance,
makes an appropriation to pay
travelling expenses, what justin
cation can there be for state Of
flcials to use it to pay the salaries
of additional clerks and deputies
that the legislature had refused
to provide for? If the approp-
ration for travelling expenses was
found to be greater than was nee
" essary, why should not the money
. be saved to the state instead OF
being eaten up in payment to un-
necessary deputyships maintain
ed for the purpose, in many in
stances, of providing fat snaps
for political workers, or depend
TENT relatives Of state officials?
We don't profess TO know just
what the law is relative to this
matter, and, for that matter, even
If we had the plain wording of
some law before us, we wouldn't
know what that law says until
after some court got through with
it, for, no matter how plain the
English may be in every other
affair Of life, it never says what
il means, nor means what it
says, in law. We know by every
other means Of knowledge than
the law that two and two are four
but if some Legislature should
declare such to be the fact by en-
actment, we shouldn't know if it
was true OF not until the supreme
court had passed upon the ques-
ton, and the chances appear to
be that it would be found that
the legislature didn't mean it at
all, but meant something else.
So we are not so certain that
when the Legislature says that so
much money may be available for
one purpose, it, did not mean that
it was available for some other
purpose, provided some state Of
fetal bent on spending the mon
ey should decide that he needed
1t for the other purpose. We
wouldn't know until after the SUI
preme court had decided upon
the matter, and we are not, gam
bling on what the court would
find to be the meaning of English
that is plain enough for most OF
us to understand.
But anyway, whether it is le-
gal to use money intended fol
one purpose for another entirely
different purpose or not, it is q
bad thing TO do. 1t opens a lit
tie bit wider the doors of ex-
travagance, and invites littlt
bit more enticingly rascality il
office.
The appropriation bill says:
1.-The amounts specifically ap-
propriated for stated purposes
by this act constitute the whole
amount appropriated and to b,
used for any purpose during the
year 1913 and 1914"
But the attorney general, so il
is claimed by the state auditor
has held that this doesn't NEAR
it at all, but that it means this
when the pure food commits
sioner thinks he can't use all Of
the $4,000 appropriated fol
travelling expenses for such trav-
cling expenses, why he may JUS
shift a part of it over to tn,
$25,00O appropriated for salarie:
so he can have salaried peopl,
enough to be able TO expend tn,
balance that was left in the trav.
cling expense account, and theI
il he finds that he has appoint
ed so many deputies that h
hasn't travelling appropriation
enough to pay their travelling ex
penses for them, after he ha
used a part of the travelling ex
pense appropriation for salarie
why he may Just shift aroun
again and take from his 'gener
al expense appropriation @
$4,000 enough TO put into hi
travelling appropriation to enabl
his deputies to wipe up the Who'll
Of the thing"
And that makes this little b
of law as clear as mudl
Is it any wonder there is ex
travagance. high taxes and eve
scandal connected with govern
nent run after such a manner?
It will doubtless prove interest