The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-05-07
STATE DEPARTMENTS
EFFICIENT AND NOT
EXTRAvAGANT SAYS
HOUSE COMMITTEE

Of this department restraining them
in their efforts to mulct the public.
So apparent has been the effort OF
the short-weight merchants to weak
en- the department, that this leglsla-
ture has declined to answer to their
appeals.
The third Recommendation is as
follows:
1.-THE placing Of the management
Of the tuberculosis hospital under
the direct charge Of the officials OF
the hospital for the nsane."
How the carrying into effect OF
this recommendation could decrease
the expenditure of the state govern
ment. or add to the efficiency of the
management, is not disclosed by any,
thing contained in the senate report.
Of the unfortunate, whether insane or
t~uberculous. are united in the opinion
that to effect this combination would
be the refinement of cruelty.
The Parole Commissioners.
The fourth recommendation is the
adjustment Of the parole commits
sioner. Just why the senate COM
mittee is so impressed with destroy
inf the usefulness of reformatory leg
islation is not apparent. The work
performed by the parole COMMISSIONS
is purely humanitarian. It is his
duty to assist persons who have sub-
mitted to the full penalty Of the law,
and been released from prison to
again become useful. self-sustaining
and law-abiding members of society
Tho onnrnnrio fionS fnr hiQ donartman
the coming year moun to $4,000
He has had under his supervision LIE
persons during the past two years
and according to his printed report
has secured permanent jobs for 15t
Of these. If he had been enabled te
successfully restore to a position OF
usefulness only one-tenth OF this
number. he would have saved the
state many times the amount of his
expenditure to say nothing of the
work don from a humanitarian
standpoint.
The fifth recommendation is a re.
ducti0n in the force Of the deputy
game wardens. This department i:
self-supporting. and is maintained b,
a license upo those engaged in thu
pastime of fishing and hunting. II
what manner the expenditures in thi:
department can be charged up agains
the state administration under the
complaint Of extravaganza is not ex.
planned by anything contained in this
report.
Stock Not Complaining.
The sixth recommendation is tina
the four present existing department
now maintained for the protection o:
the livestock industry be combined into
n effective organization on an eco
nomical basis. These departments ar,
all supervised by boards composed o
persons engaged in the particular kin
gfo RgSlness oyef which that depart
a levy upon the stock industry. N,
complaints have been presented from
those engaged in the industry, and no;
mlttee's report justifying any recon-.
mendatlon with reference to this de.
partnent whatsoever. If the senate
committee had within it's possession
any information touching the man.
of these departments. it was
clearly it's duty to present such facts
IN the open before the committee that
y sAS Sldle engineer, the
state highway commissioner and the
engineer of the public service commits
sion are so unrelated to each other
from the very nature Of the depart
ments that the mere suggestion that
these duties could be performed by one
and the same man. forces the con-
cIuslon that the senate committee
spoke without reference to actual con-
dltions. So unrelated is the work per-
formed by these officers thai the SEN
ate committee might with equal in
telllgence have recommended a yeter-
mary surgeon for superintendent of
the state tuberculosis sanitarium. or
the teacher of music at the university
as Inspector Of weights and measures.
How Public Business Is Done.
In conclusion your committee regrets
that the senate committee did no see
mt to undertake and to carry into effect
the resolution providing for its crea-
ton, because we feel confident that the
most careful investigation would have|
disclosed nothing of a serious char
acter. The charge Of extravagance
against the state administration is one
that Is always made by the party out
of power, duplication of bureaus and
departments are to be found in every!
state government. The public affairs |