The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1921-06-16

III. Robbins. one OF this county's
most prominent citizens, relative to
the office Of Oil Inspector, will, we
are sure, be of much interest to all
taxpayers:
Governor Morrow, so far, has
made no effort to explain to the
people of Kentucky how much in fees
the ornamental oil inspectors"
gather in.
In McCracken county, Waddy
Lang, the brother of County Judge
J. w. Lang. holds the office of oil
inspector, and the fees he receives
amount to $4,000.
In jefferson county the oil inspec-
torship pays $4,000 annually, or
four times as much as Louisville
pays its mayor and more than three
times as much as Kentucky pays its
Governor.
With the above quotations for a
text, will make few remarks about
the ornamental oil inspectors"
Judge Lang, Of McCracken county.
seems to be one of those practical
politicians" in whose person nepot-
ism has gone to seed.
Section 245 of the State Consti-
tuition, says: "Upon the promulga-
ton of this constitution the Cover
nor shall appoint three persons,
learned in the law, who shall be COM
missioners to revise the statute laws
of this commonwealth and prepare
amendments thereto, to the end that
the statute laws shall conform to and
effectuate this constitution. The said
commissioners shall be allowed ten
dollars day for their services"
Think Of 1.-THE men who were
sufficiently '1earned in the law" and
who did serve on that commission,
received only "ten dollars per day
for their services" yet some Happy
Hooligan can squint at car load of
oil and receive fee of $16 therefor
Section 246 of the constitution
says: 'No public officer, except the
Governor, shall receive more than
$1,000 dollars per annum as COM
pensation for official services"
After years of arduous toll and long
service. a man, "learned in the law"
may become chief justice of the com
monwealth, but the constitution says
he shall not receive more than $4,000
for his services; yet some twO-by-
four politician, without any previous
training or especial qualifications,
and pull down the sheekels to the
tune of $4,000.
The trainers Of our constitution
seem to have been very much afraid
that the honest, efficient servants
of the state would he over-paid, but
they left the gates wide open to the
grafters. Neither constitutional or
statutory law places any limit to the
amount which the grafters may
gather in-the sky is the limit with
them.
The papers tell us that they have
been having hard time, in Fay
cite county, getting the money with
which to pay the county teachers,
but we have heard of no trouble in
getting the money to pay the "orna-
mental oil inspector" of that county.
The Standard Oil Company pays
him and charges it up to the people
and they settle the bill and never
know that they have done so. Won
der how many farmers know that
every time they get some coal oil,
gasoline or lubricating oil for their
tractors they are forced to pay tri-
butte to the most useless set of graft
ers that ever infested any state
Governor Morrow is no more to
blame for this condition of things
than is Ex-Governor Stanley, Tor no
one ever heard Of either of them
making an honest effort to rid the
old ship of these barnacles.
People should be willing to pay
taxes which are collected for public
schools, public roads and all other
useful purposes, but it is time to
rebel against all forms of taxes
which are collected for pure and un-
adulterated graft.
Will say, by way of digression,
that when man rides over the coun-
try and sees bright little children
trudging along through the mud and
slush to reach some miserable little
shack called a "school-house,"' 10
Gated on some little three-conered
piece of ground or down in some mud
hole, he is brought to realization
of the sad fact that while Kentcuky