PUBLIC OFFICE NOT A PRIVATE SNAP

Frank Campbell.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, December 30, 1892.

PUBLIC OFFICE NOT A PRIVATE SNAP.

State Comptroller Campbell's Business Methods Save Money on the Sale.

   Comptroller Frank Campbell, ably assisted by his deputy, Calvin Huson, has established a thorough business system in the State Comptroller's office. He has gone so far in requiring of all State department officials, of either high or low degree, a strict accountability that it is frequently remarked:  "Why, the comptroller handles the State's money as though it were his own."

   Already Comptroller Campbell has saved more than his salary by cutting down expense accounts of the officials and agents of the various departments and commissions. The Comptroller found, soon after his entry into office, that it had been the custom of certain departments to present bills for extra legal expenses. If an opinion or point of law was wanted by any of the commissions, a lawyer was employed and his fee sent to the Comptroller for auditing. To put an end to this the Comptroller made a rule that any commission or department, desiring legal aid in their work, must first apply to the Attorney General of the State. If they present a statement from him in writing that his force is too busy to give the required assistance, outside legal talent may be employed, and the comptroller will audit the bill, otherwise he will not. When an extra engineer is wanted on the canal, a statement from the State Engineer that his office force cannot attend to the work is required before a bill for outside aid can be contracted.

   The Comptroller, by a personal examination of the expense accounts of various agents and sub-agents of the State, found bills for hack hire in places, where cheaper facilities were obtainable, A halt was called and several hundreds of dollars were saved. As custodian of the stationery and office supplies for all the departments, and commissions the Comptroller insisted that requisitions be specific, and that the clerk in charge dispense only what the requisition called for, and in this way three or four thousand dollars were saved.

   When the managers of certain branches of the World's Fair [Chicago] exhibit from this State, in fitting up their temporary offices, put in a $225 desk, the Comptroller mildly expostulated, holding that if a $65 desk was good enough for permanent use in his office, a $225 desk was a trifle costly for a temporary office. The desk was exchanged.

   The Comptroller has, however, not devoted all his time to cutting down minor expenses, but has organized his force of forty clerks in such a business-like manner that they can always he found at their posts, and the correspondence of this most important of State departments is answered so far as possible, with the same promptness that characterizes a mercantile or banking establishment. Moreover, the Comptroller has, at a cost of less than $25,000 (inclusive of salaries for clerks and expense of investigations), raised the total collateral inheritance tax collected, from $890,267.54 in 1891, to $1,786,218.47 in 1892, and probably, before the end of the year, there will be added $500,000 from an estate of $10,000,000 in Syracuse. Of the $900,000 increase only $300,000 comes from New York county, while $600,000 comes from the up-country districts.—N. Y. Sun, Albany correspondence.

Do You Want a Public Office?

   There are 180,000 offices within the gift of the new [Cleveland] Administration, and now is the time for those seeking public employment to take proper steps to secure one of these lucrative positions All who are interested should at once send for a copy of the United States Blue Book. It is a register of all Federal offices and employments in each State and Territory, the District of Columbia and abroad, with their salaries, emoluments and duties; shows who is eligible for appointment, questions asked at examinations, how to make an application and how to push it to success, and gives besides a vast amount of important and valuable information relative to Government positions never before published. Handsomely bound in cloth. Price, 75 cents postpaid. Address J. H. Soule, Publisher, Washington, D. C.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   Many Republican papers have insisted that Tammany Hall would demand the larger share of the officers in Mr. Cleveland's gift, and that if this ancient and honorable organization did not get what it asked for, the people of this country would witness such a grand kick as they never saw before. Of course our Republican friends would rejoice to see the big row, but they probably won't live long enough. A few days since Richard Croker, who knows as well as any one what course Tammany will take, made the following statement in Tammany Hall:

   "Mr. Cleveland will be supported in his administration by every Democrat in Tammany Hall, and his appointments will be entirely satisfactory to them, no matter whom he may name for the offices. Tammany Hall has no demands to make on Mr. Cleveland. I will do all I can to relieve him from any embarrassment in the matter of appointments. There are no requests for place to make from this organization, and I with it understood that as it supported him at the polls, just as loyally is the Tammany Hall Democracy going to support Mr. Cleveland In his administration."

Christmas at the Homer Avenue Church.

   Christmas, the most happy and holy day of all the year, has come and gone. At Homer-ave. church it was a joyful time for those of all ages.

   The usual entertainment for the children was given Christmas eve. After a short literary program the presents were distributed by several of the merry number present. Two trees were prettily decorated, not with costly presents, but were suited to the needs of those receiving them. A box of candy and an orange was given to all the children of the Sunday school and Junior League, and to the primary a pretty little toy extra. A few were disappointed in not seeing Santa Claus, but as the night was so very cold and stormy, a gentleman of his years was most certainly excusable in not making his appearance.

   The church was beautifully decorated with evergreens in festoons and wreaths, wall mottoes, etc. Suspended above the platform were the words "Merry Christmas." One great attraction of the evening was the old fashioned chimney and fire place all aglow. On the mantle were the brass candlesticks holding the burning candles, while the stockings were hanging underneath, waiting to be filled as in days of yore, making one feel like singing:

   "Backward, turn backward, oh time is your flight,

   Make me a child again just for to-night.''

   Notwithstanding the weather it was an evening of joy and gladness.

A Commendable Enterprise.

   Some of the leading singers of Cortland are learning the beautiful opera "Pirates of Penzance," to be given on the evenings of Jan. 19th and 20th at Taylor Hall, Cortland, for the benefit of Cortland Hospital, one of the most worthy and deserving institutions in our town. The opera will be given complete, with orchestra, large chorus, excellent leading or principal characters, nicely costumed, and in all respects first-class. Mr. S. R. Racklyeft, who has had many years’ experience as a professional opera singer and conductor, has the work in hand. Mr. Frank Beman, the well known orchestra conductor, will conduct the orchestra.

   The regular weekly rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings, Empire Hall. All singers who have not already joined and who wish to assist are requested to be present at the rehearsal next Tuesday evening. It is desirable that the company numbers forty or fifty singers and all who can sing ought to consider it a privilege to assist in such a laudable work.

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   Jay Gould's will is filed and his wealth is put at $72,000,000.

   Queen Victoria owns $500,000 worth of property on Main street in Buffalo, known as the Brown Block.

   Syracuse's expensive new city hall, built of limestone, has several ugly looking cracks on the outer wall and new ones are discovered almost daily.

   The heirs of the late Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon, the noted English divine, have decided to present his valuable private library to Colgate University.

   The Solvay Process Co. of Syracuse has established a pension system for honorably discharged or totally disabled employees, according to term of service, etc., to go into effect January 1, [1893.]

   The pension claims exceed the number of men who saw [civil war] service, says Prof. Curtiss of the Cleveland Western Reserve College, as only 1,620,000 were in it, while 1,676,068 are on the list.

   There are now pending in Potter county and two other northern tier counties of the State, forty-six divorce cases in different stages of litigation, and in Tioga county there are now a Brooklyn physician, a well-known actress, the wife of a well-known New York State politician, a New York city merchant, two women from Buffalo, a coal operator of Albany, a Brooklyn broker, the daughter of a conspicuous preacher of New York State, and a Lake Erie steamboat captain, all gaining a residence for the purpose of beginning proceedings in divorce. Out of twenty-two decrees of divorce granted by the courts of Northern Pennsylvania last month, twenty were to people who came from New York State especially for divorces. The strict marriage law of this state sends hundreds of couples over the New York border to get married in that state and to even things up, the strict laws of New York sends hundreds of couples over the Pennsylvania border to get unmarrried in this state —Wellsboro, Pa. Gazette.

HERE AND THERE.

   The DEMOCRAT bids all its readers a Happy New Year.

   P. Strube & Co. are selling off their stock of goods at auction.

   Eben Bently, lately with E H. Lee, has purchased George L. Barnard's clothing business at Cazenovia. Mr. Barnard moves to Cortland.—DeRuyter Gleaner.

   Last Friday afternoon, Mr. J. H. Winslow, of the Homer and Cortland Electric Light Co., fell from a ladder in rear of the Beaudry block and injured his wrist considerably.

   Rev. W. A. Huntington, pastor of the Baptist church in Truxton, has commenced the publication of a little paper called "The Tidings." It is bright and newsy, and we wish it success.

   An oyster supper will be given in the session room of the Presbyterian church in Preble this Friday evening, Dec. 30th, 1892, for the benefit of the Sunday school. A general invitation is extended to the public.

   The silver and bronze bars for the sharpshooters of the 45th Company arrived last Tuesday. The two silver bars were won by Lieut. Fred. L. McDowell and Quartermaster Geo. W. Cleveland. There are thirty-five bronze bars.

   Mr. Hosea Sprague, of Homer, was 99 years-old on Wednesday. His general health is good, and he is as spry as most men at 70. The DEMOCRAT wishes him a "Happy New Year," and hopes to be able to extend the same salutation many times in the future.

   School Commissioner Stillman has announced the following dates for uniform examinations of teachers for the year 1893: First grade, Cortland Normal, March 7 and 8; August 15 and 16. Second and Third grade, Cortland, Feb. 11, March 7, May 6, August 15, October 7, and at Marathon, April 1, June 10, Sept. 2d, Nov. 4th.

   A few days since, while three little girls were returning home from school, they were snowballed by a boy residing on Union-st. Katie Stanton was hit under the eye with one of the missiles, and quite badly injured, A second offense of the kind will result in publication of the name of the offender and probable prosecution.

   The laws of 1892 made radical changes in the law relating to school libraries. No library money will be apportioned to any district that does not raise at least five dollars to be used in the purchase of books approved by the State superintendent.  The library must be kept in the school building, and the teacher must be the librarian. Trustees in turning the library over to the teacher should take a list of the books, and in no case should a final payment of wages be made until a strict account is given of the library.—Exchange.