The Lamar register., 1919-02-12

Denver, Feby. 10 Special corre-
spondence) - The republican house
through a committee headed by L. E.
Girard of Boulder and John w. Step
henson of Denver, is working out
plan to abolish all the useless boards,
bureaus and commissions, most of
which were put into force during the
Shafroth regime as purely parts of
great political machine, and most of
which have long since ceased to func-
ton. Their abolishment will not only
save the state large sum of money
annually but will result in far great
er efficiency than is being now secur-
ed, or than has been secured for many
years. The plan has the approval Of
the majority Of the house and is like
ly to find equal favor in the senate.
The committee has given great
deal Of attention and time to study
of the Illinois law, and is now in cor
respondence with a number in that
state to secure their opinion as to how
this law has worked out and whether,
in adopting n similar statute in Colo
rado, any changes could be profitably
made.
The Illinois law practically estab-
fishes a cabinet of nine for the gov
ernor after the manner of the national
government, these nine being appoint
ed by the governor and with terms
concurrent with the appointing power.
Each of these men head some depart
ment of state government, such as
finance, education, labor, mining, bank
ing, etc. For instance, the head of
the department of finance would have
falling under him the present auditors
office, purely administrative, all mat
ters of revenue, expenditures, budgets,
contracts, etc.
While the illinois law provides nine
departments it is believed with the
present population of Colorado this
state can well manage with seven and
possibly five. The law will provide
sufficiently large salaries for these
men so that able and capable persons
can be secured to occupy them. This
system it is pointed out, rather than
being an additional cost of government
will materially reduce the cost of state
management and ut the same time ma
terially increase efficiency in every de-
partment. The amount now being paid
to members of diverse and sundry use
less boards, bureaus, and commissions,
viii far more than take care Of the
salary and expenses of seven members
Of such a cabinet, and the saving in
clerical help where there are now two
boards overlapping in work md duties,
will make big saving.
Judge Lambert, representative from
Hugo, has a civil service law that
should find favor in both branches of
the Legislature. 1t provides for honest,
consistent and real civil service, and
is a law that will enforce efficiency
and prevent further manipulation OF
state jobs so that the favored one can
come in, lay down dollar and be cer-
titled on the list The law will upset
the calculation of the democrats now
in jobs who thought when they passed
the civil service amendment last fall,
they had secured life jobs for them
selves, for II will force every one OF
them to take examination, and that
means that fully 80 per cent of them
will fail to pass. Judge Lambert has
given this law careful study and has
one that should prove universally sat
isfactory since II will carry out the
will Of the voters as expressed in the
civil service amendment.
Governor Shoup has asked the legis-
lature to appropriate money to take
care Of Colorado epxense in welcoming
Colorado soldiers who are expected to
land in New York soon. The famous
fighting 157th infantry with the gal
liant and popular Major Hammock will
soon be back in the United States. As
the time for the introduction of new
bills has elapsed the Legislature will
have to find some way to handle this
but 1t is believer it can be injected