Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1919-11-12

house.
By the legislative understanding
through which this momentous con-
solidation was triumphantly brought
about, one executive was to perform
the work for both bureaus. Part of
the salary was to be paid out of
the reduced appropriation for one
bureau, and part out of the reduced
appropriation for the other bureau.
The executive work was entrusted
to Mrs. Millie r, Trumbull, who for
years had operated the Child Labor
Bureau with courage and efficiency
and who previously had been a lead
er in framing the legislation which
originally established the Industrial
Welfare Bureau. Mrs. Trumbull had
experience in both branches-more
experience than anyone else in the
state-and she had the convictions
and the courage to execute both laws
without fear or favor.
Last legislature, the consolidation
was reviewed and the previous un-
derstanding was continued in force
that with the smaller appropriations
the two bureaus could be operated
with one executive by each bureau
paying a part of the salary. 1t was
evident that the work was of kind
that could be handled not only with
economy but with increased eff
cheney under one head, as the same
inspector could visit the same plant
on women's wage inquiry while
investigating reported child labor
violation in the same place. The
work of both bureaus is of the same
kind in essence, and there was every
reason for keeping them united.
The last legislature also did some
thing else-it re-created the child
welfare ommission-yet another
body-and gave it an appropriation
which included a specification that
it should employ a secretary at not
less than $4,000 year. Governor
Olcott, sensing that the child labor
work and child welfare work were
closely related and should be kept
tied together, appointed Mrs. Trum-
bull as member of the child well
fare commission, but without draw
ing the minimum salary of $4,000
year that the legislature instructed
should be paid. In other words, Mrs.
Trumbull has done the work without
any compensation, and the state has
saved the $4,000.
Briefly, Mrs. Trumbull has filled
three jobs-one of them without pay,
thus saving $4,000; two others with
part pay from each; her total COM
pensation being the trifling sum of
$500, to earn which she not only
devotes conscientious enthusiasm for
humane administration but also
works nights and Sundays as well as
days in order to attend to the null
titudinous detail work involved in
keeping track of many thousands of
cases.
But there are three iobs-count
'em-all held by one person. In the
minds of people who covet state
Jobs, either for salary or little brief
authority, it is sacrilege for one per-
son to hold three jobs when three
jobs might be distributed among
three deserving citizens. So for some
time an agitation has heen waged to
have the work separated so each job
will be held by one job-holder, so
three job-holders would draw sal
aries aggregating $4,000 to $4,000
instead OF one job-holder drawing
three consolidated salaries aggregat-
ing only $1,SOO.
The usual method is being followed
to have the one job split in three.
Somebody inspired complaint that
the constitution was being violated,
in that Mrs. Trumbull was holding
two lucrative positions under the
state at one and the same time.
This was ruled upon as being cap
tious objection, as il several depart
ments OF state weer able to economize
by employing one person at one sal
ary, each pay its part, there would
really be only one lucrative position
instead of three. But the agitation
has not died. As long as there are
three titles with possible salaries
hanging to them, it will be kept
up. II is to be hoped the state Of
ficials and commission members who
control the situation will not be
stampeded by these intrigues and
Vaccinations. The work Of all three
bureaus is being we'll conducted by
a trained, experienced executive who
has applied the lessons of experience
and is enforcing the law with little
friction. albeit firmly, and the state
is saving several thousand dollars
year.
And don't forget that if the con-
solidated job is split in two or three, |
the one mighty effort of Oregon's
legislature, to consolidate, consoli-
date, consolidate will have come to
exactly cipher plus zero equals
naught.