Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-14
OLD CLERK HIRING
SYSTEM AGAIN OBTAINS
$4,000 Worth Of Time VAST
ed In Discussion That Gets
House No Place

After tlreshing about and squander.
ing about $4,000 worth of the state s
time in debating ways and means Of
bringing about n saving of about the
same amount Of money in connection
with the much.mOoted clerkship evil,
both branches Of the twentyeighth le'
gisotiye assembly finally got back to
where they started from and adopted,
without very material change, the same
rules and system that was in vogue at
the last session, which has been charac.
tcrized as the "most eXtravagant scs.
sion in the history Of the Oregon legis-
lature,"
In the house yesterday, where the
fight was waged to conclusion, the
senate having thrcshcd the matter out
the day previous and gone melrily upon
its business, the first proposition that
was at issue was the offer Of Charles
Runyon, an official court reporter of
Portland, to furnish all Of the clerical
help necessary for the entire i0.days
session Of the house for $4,000, and it
was figured by the supporters Of this
scheme that saving Of about $4,000
could be worked under the contract
system
After this proposition has been re.
iectcd by u big majority however, II
was found that the bid Of Mr. Runyon
did not include the desk clerks, the
house messengers, pages and chief
clerks Of -four Of the most important
committees, aud TO have let the con.
tract for merely the floor clerks Of the
house would have meant nice, big
" fat piece Of vcvctn for the contrae.
tor, as the cost Of the desk clerks, mes.
sengers and pages Of the house for the
lest session, including overtime, total
led up to about $4,000, and that Of the
chief clerks and assistant chief clerks
Of the committees, which offices arc
created and provided for by statute, ia
approximately $4,000 more, counting in
overtime allowed for the last session
and about $4,000 for clerks on enrolled
and engrossed bills committees. making
Il grand total Of about $1,000 Of the
$l0,400, the total cost Of clerk hire for
the last session in the house. This doe,
not include clerk hire for special com
mittees, which would be at least $4,000
more, or about 10000 in all.
Then came the compromise Of Repre-
sentative Allen Eaton, Of Lane, provid
ing for the grouping Of members IL
groups Of two for the employment OF
an expert stenographcr or common
clork and for common clerk and tive
expert stenographcrs for each group Of
four members Stcnographcrs were I,
have received 40 per day and common
clerks S3. This proposition also con
tcmplated the appointment Of chict
Of clerks, with general supervision ovcl
all clerks and vested with power to dis
charge them for refusal to perform
work that was assigned them, for ab
sencc, etc.
This compromise was finally adoptct
in committee Of the whole but II wal
later recalled upon vote 10 reconsider
wus voted down and the original re
port Of the committee on rules, recon
mcnding the adoption Of the rules o
the last session, was adopted and thl
matter was back where II started from
The only change made was the rcduc
tion Of the salaries Of all chief clcrlu
Of committees TO the common level o
S5 per day, whereas the chief clerk o
the committees ON judiciary and revi
sion Of laws received t6 Inst session
and the chief clerk Of the ways ant
means committee AZ,
/ Under the rules M recommended b,
the majority report Of the committee
and adopted by the house the same con
ditions, 10 begin with, prevail at thO
/ present session as did at the last ses
sion, there being no provision for re
duction In the force Of clerks, with Nh
exception that the salaries Of the chic
clerk Of the committees on iudiciar,
and revision Of laws (who must be
competent attorney and the chic
clerk Of the ways and means commit
tee, each Of whom viii receive S5 pc
day, instead Of 90 aud as, respectively
as was allowed at the last session Tn
full list Of clerks which may be en-
ploycd under the rules adopted by th
house yesterday follows!
Stenographer to the chief clerk cacI
member Of the house shall be empower
ed TO appoint an expert stcnogruphel