The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-02-11
MILEAGE CRAFTS MAY
RESULT IN DEFINITE
EXPENSE ALLOWANCE
Profit In Travel Induces Some
Officials to Spend Much
Time on Road.

Pierre. S. D.. Feb. 6.-The intro
duction of a bill by the senate judiciary
committee, giving the attorney general
fixed expense account OF 500 per
, month and actual railroad fare, Is the
beginning Of a movement with some
determined hackers to abolish the en-
tire mileage system for state officials
and boards. There is n growing con-
Viction that the state Is paying out
thousands OF dollars every year In
mileage which Is n source of profit to
members OF boards and commissions.
Under the system Of paying 5 or 10
cents a mile, 1t is made profitable for
these officials to travel. The more
travel the more state money diverted
into their pockets.
The report OF the state auditor for
1913 shows that some members OF the
board OF health drew ~ cents mile
for travel. AS q sample OF the proht
In this mileage system, IL Is noted that
DIR. II. r. kenaston, in July, 1912, was
paid S50.50 for sos miles and Park d.
Jenkins $3.50 for 25S miles. These
names are selected at random from
the report, and the board OF health Is
cited simply as one Of many others.
The mileage system makes 1t pront-
able for members OF boards to travel
as much as possible. 1t places temp
tation in their way.
Some OF the officials and boards are
required to turn In vouchers for only
the actual money spent for railroad
fare and this plan should be followed
In the case OF every person travelling
at state expense, in the opinion OF
those who are behind the bill that has
nd M
follow before the session is over. When
an official can make two trips within
few days OF each other and make
neat little profit for himself by so
doing, the temptation is to make the
two trips when the business might be
transacted in one.
Whole System Faulty.
The attorney generals office has been
one Of the most expensive for the state
In the matter Of mileage cost. but that
the whole mileage system Is at fault
and contrary to good public policy will
be argued when the bills to correct the
abuses come before the legislature.
1t is understood that the present at
torney general is in favor OF abolish
ing the mileage graft and is assisting
in the preparation Of bills that will do
away with it. When the state mileage
system is corrected there will remain
much to do along the same lines in
counties where physicians are paid
mileage for establishing quarantine
and other officials are paid so much
per mile, which yields them a profit,
instead of being reimbursed for the
actual amounts expended in travelling
Tor the state.
Members who are going after the
mileage graft say II is one OF the things
that causes the people to reject pro-
posals for paying better salaries. They
oil hot 70. ~ -, A,,f
30 long as II appears large profits are
made in mileage, they will not vote to
Increase salaries When expense &C
counts are brought down to an actual
expense basis as Is the case with the
BOARD OF regents and the board of
charities and corrections. ii is believed
'alaries may be adjusted to a moro
equitable standard.
Checks New Authority.
The tendency Of boards to be coatin-
tally reaching out for new authority
received a check in the House. when
the new sanitary regulation" bill OF
the food and drug department was de-
feated by n vote of 81 to II. The mea-
sure had previously passed the senate.
with some of the departments requests
stricken, but 1t carried a number of new
restrictions against hotels, including
the abolition of roller towels and COM
mon" drinking cups. Several OF the
house members expressed objection to
delegating too much supervisory au-
thority to one man. Debate on the bill
was cut off by a motion for the pre-
vious question and the bill was showed
under" on roll call.
More Elimination.
An attempt is being made to work up
n sentiment for the wiping out of the
immigration department OF the state,
which was created four years ago. Just
how far this will go is not yet shown
on the surface, but that there is q
sentiment for the introduction of a re-
peal act Is shown by the rumors and
suggestions that such a measure would
meet with favorable support in some
quarters.
The bill to allow Verdlcts of three
fourths of a. jury in civil cases will prob
ably be out in the open for this session
in a few days. The bill met defeat by
a narrow margin in the session Of two
years ago, and will be tried out again
at this session.
A resolution for short annual sessions
of the Legislature, with a senate of l5
and a house of 80, is the purpose of a
resolution for a constitutional amend
ment offered yesterday by Weller, OF
Dawson, in the house.