The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-10-21
Mr.. BENZ. A. RICHMOND ON
STATE EFFICIENCY BOARD
One OF Three Selected by Weller TO
Improve State Government.

Cutlery VI lHe Sldle government on a
basis of efficiency and economy:
Edwin G. Baetjer, of Baltimore,
lawyer
Jacob Epstein, of Baltimore, mer-
chant
Benjamin A. Richmond, of Cumber-
land, lawyer.
Two members of the commission
appointed by the Democratic conyen-
ton in the event that he is elected
Governor.
Mr.. Weller gave out the following
statement:
After very careful consideration
of the subject of having a commission
to make recommendations toward the
elimination of extravaganza and use
less offices in the state government.
have reached the conclusion that the
first requisite of an efficient commits
sion of this character is to make it nom
partisan.
when the plans are formulated for
the accomplishment of these reforms.
it is essential that they should be re-
moved from the realms of partisan
ship, so that they may command the
support of the members of the Legis-
lature, irrespective of their party
affiliations. The attempts on the part
of the Democratic machine to make the
work of the commission a part of a
party program is to endanger the sue
cess of the measures to be proposed,
as was so frankly pointed out by DR..
Goodnow in his letter accepting the
Craftsmanship of the Democratic com
mission. To take the recommends
tons of the committee and consign them
to the closed doors of the party com
mittee and the party caucus is the first
step in the direction of their mutilation
and emasculatlon
The attempt to make the commits
sion stalking horse for the Demo
cratic machine and the endeavor to
place upon it the responsibility for the
redemption of Democratic pledges.
when it admittedly has no authority,
shows lack of candor on the part of
Democratic managers in dealing with
the people and puts the commission in
a wrong light. l do not believe the
estimable gentlemen who compose the
commission already appointed antci-
pated that they would be represented
to the public as a guarantee of the
fulfillment of pledges which they did
not make and have no power to enact
into law. The way in which the Dem
ocratlc machine has almost invariably
mutilated, eyaded and ignored the
recommendation of commissions whose
standing they sanction before elections
is matter of common knowledge.
''The subject of recognizing the de-
partments and finances of the state
is too big and broad to be hampered by
partisanship. Machine politics can kill
the project! but 1t has never yet been
helpful in producing remedy for the
very conditions which they have created.
We must put these great official, de-
partmental and financial reforms on a
business basis and not on political or
party basis. The powers and authority
of the commission as appointed have
been exaggerated to the eyes of the
public, when the chairman of the com
mission himself has announced that it
does not possess the prerogatives neces-
sary to assure results. The power to
recommend does not in this case even
approximate the authority to enact or
enforce.
1T has been my endeavor to form
commission which will be free from
the objections of partisanship and will
be in position to take the whole sub
ject of reforming the finances and of
fees of the state out of the realm of
politics and place it on a broad business
plane. The findings of this commission
should be for the legislators of ali
political parties, and not for those of
only one party. If the measures pro-
posed by the commission are to be
passed, it will be by the votes of legis-
lators whose votes are dictated by
business honesty and responsibility to
their constituents, and not in obedience
to party whip. unreservedly pre-
dict that if the findings Of the COM
mission appointed are submitted to the
political legislative managers of the
Democratic party the process of amend
ment, mutilation and evasion will render
the work of the commission practically
ineffective, The history of Maryland
legislation will bear me out in this as
sertion.
81 have selected, at present, three
members of commission to pass on
the subject of useless offices and ex-
travagance in the state and to pro-
pose measures for remedying these
conditions and promoting economy
and efficiency in government. Those
selected are: Edwin G. Baetjer, of
Baltimore city; Jacob Epstein, of Bal
timore city, and Benjamin A. Rich
mond, of Cumberland. In addition to