The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-04-26

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the people may go about their pusl-
ness without keeping wary eye on
81. Paul
The Legislature of 1929 was prodigal
in the way 1t kept house. When the
anvil chorus begins to hammer, as
usual upon the adjournment OF Leg
islature. one thing that 1t can beat
into the heads of the people with per-
feet assurance is the fact that the Leg
islature of 1929 was the most expen-
sive in the history Of the state.
The legislature sat sixteen weeks at
a cost of close to 100000. For the
past ten years the cost OF leg1sla-
tive session has been about OO,OOO-
it was a little over 100000 two years
ago; it will be little under 100000
this year. If it is any comfort to you
in this situation, we will advise you
that the legislature Of New York state,
with the same membership as that OF
Minnesota, has just concluded a ses-
sion of thirteen weeks at a housekeep-
ing cost of $2,0O0,000. We in Min
neSota are bad, but you will have 70
admit that we have not yet done the
worst.
The increased cost of the present
session is almost entirely due to the
lavish recklesSness with which the
Senate-and the house dealt out
JOBS Being of the house, we are glad
to load most of the blame on the sem
ate. Up to this year the dominant
faction in the house and in the senate
dictated the organization and parceled
out the jobs. The house followed this
rule again this year, but the senate
abandoned it, called every member in
to its organization and provided an
employee for every member. Once
the senators had tasted blood, they
clamored for more, with the result
that the senate this year had lib en-
ployeeS, almost two for each member.
The house had III employees for its
131 members.
A Law Unto Itself.
The legislature is a law unto itself
so far as its own expenses go. True,
the governor may veto the bills pass
ed for the expenses of the session, but
the legislature would promptly pass
the appropriations over his veto "be-
fore the ink was dry on the veto mes
sage" as one Minneapolis paper ex-
presses it.
Since the passage of the economy
and efficiency act in 1925 strenuous
efforts have been made to reduce the
expenses of the legislative session and
considerable economies have been ef-
fected in printing and other routine ex-
penses, but the army of help which
senators and representatives summon
to help them in the making of laws,
the So-called Third House, grows
and grows. The senate, for instance,
had six "janitorS" two years ago-thiS
session it had sixteen. These janitorS
must be janitors emeritus or some
thing for the actual work of cleaning
up is done by the regular mopping-up
crew of the capitol. The house, tho
much more diSorderly than the senate,
does not run so strong to janitorS.
Last session 1t had three, this session
four.
Nep0tism.
Certain members Of the house who
did not succeed in getting their un-
cles and their cousins and their aunts
on the payroll this year have fused
about it quite bit. In the senate,
however, nobody says word, because
every senator was allotted an appoint
ment early in the session. Some of
them, in fact, found places for more
than one cousin, uncle or aunt. In
the house there are not enough jobs
to go around and great has been the
wailing and crashing of teeth thereat.
It must be admitted that the practice
of members Of the legislature in Sc
curing appointment of their wives,
their sons and their daughters as
clerks and stenographers has been
steadily increasing during the last
three sessions.
Making of Many Laws.
Before you rail at the legislature for
passing so many laws you should take
the total output Of the session with a
grain of salt. Here is Senator Nc
Lean of Hennepin, for instance, with
four bills for the repeal of the law is
to the state board of visitors. -Four
new laws in order to get rid of one old
oneI Senator Mclean was once
member of the house and at that time
we remember that he COPIED the rec
ord for the number of bills introduced
with a total Of 81. If we may judge
from his four bills to repeal one law,
he Is still, as senator, keeping his
output right up to the mark. But
when we read down to the end Of the
bill which recodifies the teachers GER
tificate law, we chortle with glee, for
this act in one fell swoop repeats IS
laws now on the statute books Of the
state.
Make Them Understand.
We have been so busy warding of
the blows that are rained down upon
us In the house that we do not often
get over to the senate to see them per-
form. But as we harried by the corri-
dor door Of the senate chamber the
other day we were thunderstruck to
hear sounds Of uproarious mirth from
that dignifled body. The senate
chamber fairly rocked with laughter
and we rushed In to find out what it
was all about. There was the black
bewhiskered Senator Schmechel of
Renville, the sturdy dirt farmer, 20
count whose broad acres even by the
hundreds you need the fingers and
thumbs of both hands-there stood
Senator Schmechel smiling broadly
while the senate still held It's sides
with laughter.
1t seems that Senator Schmechel
had bill that was up for considera-
ton when another senator, learned in
the law, a lawyer-Senator short, de-
clared that he couldn't understand the
bill Up rose the Senator from Rem
vile, raven black whiskers and all,
and said: "Mr. President, here Is an
amendment to the bill that will make
even q lawyer understand it."
There are good many farmers In
the senate and they laughed. There
are many senators that are not ex-
actly crazy about lawyers and they
laughed. Even the lawyers in the
ckaar,ak,<,,. tho i,ira than