West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-02-25

Offered BY senator Norton as to Nun.
Der and Salaries Of All their Clerks
and Employees-The Laws are Spe-
cific

Senator f.. II. Morton, OF Webster
Springs. introduced In the State Sem
ate one OF the most significant and
far-reaching resolutions offered at this
session OF the legislature. II requests
all the heads OF departments and bu-
reaus OF the state government, who
have not already done so, to comply
mt once with the statutory and con-
stitutional requirements by filing with
the governor complete list OF all
clerks and employees I'm their respec-
tive departments from July 1st, 1913.
to the present time; and further calls
upon the governor to comply with the
plain mandate OF the law by transmit
ting to the legislature these complete
lists from the departments, including
his own.
This resolution searches out one of
the very sources of the stream of ex-
travagance, down which the waste OF
public money flows. The law requires
all state officers and heads of DEPART
ments or bureaus of the state govern
ment to file with the governor q COM
piete report OF all their employees, to-
gether with the service and the rate
and the amount OF salary paid each.
The constitution OF West Virginia re-
quires the governor to lay this infor-
nation. with like report from his
own Office, before the Legislature of
the state.
The purpose of these requirements
is manifest and their wisdom is pa
tent. Ii is In the nature of an ac-
counting to the legislature for the
money which that body has appro-
priated, as well as a valuable guide
for future appropriations, and lays be-
fore the taxpayers of the common
wealth the most vital facts OF public
stewardship. II is the Gazette's infor-
nation that some OF the departments
and branches have failed to file any
such accounting, and that others have
only partially complied with the law.
| 1t seems to be the general under
standing that the governors Office had
entirely ignored the constitutional
mandate as to the making of such a
complete report to the legislature.
Assuming that to have been the case.
is 1t not the duty of the members of
the legislature to call for the missing
reports? The primer urpose of the
presence of any representative In the
legislature is to protect the public
rights-and it was for this protection
that the able Senator from Webster
offered his resolution i'm open session
of the Senate
Saturdays Journal of the Senate.
printed yesterday. contains an item
ized statement of the expenditure of
the governors contingent fund and
some other items embodied in an ap-
pendix. Nobody seems to understand
Just how they got in the jodrnal, but
there they were. The people of the
state are entitled to this information,
and 1t is to be hoped that Senator
Morton's resolution will be acted upon
at once. The exact text of the resolu-
ton is as follows:
Whereas, Sec. SO of chapter three
of the acts of the West Virginia legis-
lature of 1918, and section eighteen of
article seven of the constitution of
this state, require all executive Off
GERS and heads of departments and
branches OF the state government,
having employees and expanding any
money appropriated by the legislature,
to file with the governor a list of all
employees, clerks and stenographers
together with the position held by
each and the rate and amount of sal
airy paid to each, and
| whereas, under the provis ems of
said section eighteen of article seven
OF the constitution, it is made the
duty of the governor to transmit such
records to the legislature: aud
| Whereas. IL appears that not all of
the departments, branches and bu-
reaus OF said government have COM
piled with said requirements of law
In filing their said reports with the
governor, and that the governor has
not Transmitted any such reports to the
legislature, as contemplated by the
constitution; and
| Whereas the Senate deems 1t essen
tial tc have such reports and informa-
ton before considering the appropria-
ton bills;
Therefore Resolved by the Senate of
West Virginia that each subordinate
executive officer. head of a depart
ment. or branch OF the state govern
ment, as provided in the statutory and
constitutional provisions hereinbefore
referred to. who has not already done
so, Is hereby requested to file imme-
diately with the governor Of this state
a full and complete list Of all clerks.
stenographers and other employees I'm
their respective departments from
July LIST. 1913. to the present. or any
part Of that time. with the position
held and services performed bs each.
and the rate and amount OF salary paid
TO each such employee; and.
Resolved. further, that the governor
OF this state be, and is hereby re-
quested 70 transmit to the legislature
a complete report Of all the clerks.
stenographers and other employees Of
each Of the departments and branches
Of the government OF this state, in
Guiding HIS own department, from
| July LIST. 1913, up 90 the present or for