South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-16
BILLS TO PROMOTE LOCALIZED
GRAFT IN CITIES AND COUNTY
AND STATE OFFICIAL CIRCLES

Or eonsumrnate unmitigated gall commend to
- that OF the city fathers Of Indiana cities Of the
l. second class-includng South Bend,-just now
INDUCING an effort TO have law passed by the state
assembly providing or of offices for muni-
,pal operatlon and boosting the of those that
We already have all way from twenty-five to a
hundred percent
1t is an attempt at graft; unaduerated' legalized
graft-and there ether name for it.
Here the taxpayers Of the city being soaked
$40 on every hundred dollars OF their assessed hold
ing now with the prospects being $3.50 next year
for city county school state management-but
what care these municipal officers seems if the rate
goes up to s1O4sO?
They we're anxious enough to get the Offices Oh yes
They knew what their salaries be when they
took them Here South Bend they have been roboins
the track separation fund and other fund within
reach to pay that they already getting
and Prest Elliott board of works told us at the
F,rskne complimentary dinner the other night that
they intend to grab more but hardly thought he
meant after any such fashion as this
Get drift:
Mayor Carson under the law, would have his salary
raised from $4,000 $4,000 year.
Controller swygart from $4,000 $4,000; his deputy
from 81 500 to $1,000 with provision for extra clerk
$500.
City Clerk BHinski wants to ascend from *z'oVo 10
&. 500 and iump his deputy from ST. $4,000.
civ Atty Slick thinks his salary should be $4,000
instead OF 80 600 and should have assistant
At $4,000. with the privilege of employing as much
more legal brains he wants-or needs
The bin would increase City Judge Gilmer's salary
from $500 at which recently exorbitanty put
10y $500 to $4,000.
Nfs,bers Of the hoard OF works Messrs4 Elliott De
Haven and Rostiser itching $4,000 year apiece
10 succeed their present $1,000, while Messrs Smith
Boone and Kizer want $500 year each in the stead
of their present totally unearned $500.
CouncImen want increase of 500 a year-proo-
ably as compensation frequent transfers of
funds-and then there is provision for huge increases
for engineers the clerk Of the board of works and
pretty much everybody down the like, rendering new
cerlships possible apparently calculating to make
sure that no one shall any excuse to grumble
Add to this another bill. boosting the salaries of
county officers as for instance to pay the auditor
$4,000 year instead $500 and the who footS
the bills at the tax collectors window, ought to begin
70 wonder pretty soon weT-what the notch value
of living in a civilized community going to run TO.
Some Of these officers perhaps deserve slight in
creases OF compensation return for their services
but almost none Them anything like the bills pro-
vide for The that democratic office holders
are in on it, perhaps it must be general law
and their support needed avoid opposition does
not lessen the culpabny of the undertaking in the
least
These bills converted will be legalized rob
her, and nothing else Scarce in the whole ag-
.sregation in South particular. and probably in
m other second class cities as well could the salar-
les being provided for them. private business
under sun
II occurs to us it about time for the people
who nav the bills to be heard Joseph countys
loegation in the assembly should be flooded with let
l.rs and kilograms a mile deep protesting against
line uonstrositv Indeed the people might do worse
,tan through the chamber of Commerce or some
here to send a lobbyist there to represent them
a- Wells our elected officials not representing
them-in a system that to be permeating the
ntire state
Backed by GOV Goodrich there is legislative
ndonoy to increase the number of public officials and
toot salaries i'm the matter Of state officials well
u.s. in the counties cities. Under pretense of cham
ionne the so-caIled ballot" effort is being
made 10 have several offices transferred from the
Electorate to the appontve by the governor and
nearly every case increased salaries provided for
and an increased number of deputies For political
machine building better scheme could be invented
All along the line there seems be disposition 10
rae the purses Of office holders and make them more
easily accessible for large campaign assessments
4 very clever indirect way Of taxing the people IN
state county city support political party say
what else you may eX-GOv Raston. and his admin
stration he salaries or oice-holders
and he left the state without dollar of debt after
pyng running expenses $2.O0ooOO Of obligations
left 10 his predecessor Is the only benefit that the
eeple are TO have from siege OF legalized
political graft TO be INDUCED the successors TO his
regime? II looks that way.
pt ACTING AT THE IEACIIE OF NATIONS