Salt Lake Telegram | 1922-06-07 | Page 6 | Campaigning on Public Pay

Campaigning on Public Pay i 4) j a man is working for a private cor- j " poration he is expected to maintain regular j hours. He is required to give his firt attention ! -to the work for which he is employed. When J he continually devotes his time to other tilings, I I neglecting his work for things more personal, " there is but one result. He is summarily dismissed ; from the service. j I Moreover, no one complains that these arc ! unjust demands, both employer and employe j Recognizing that the first duty of the man who 'is paid for his services is to the man who pays . the bill. City, county and state officials are the ' employes of the public, and their first duty lies : in the interest of these people. There is no treason why they should not be as loyal in -their . service as are the men engaged in private enter-'. enter-'. prise. The only real difference between the employ-; employ-; merrt of the private Individual and the public ; official is that the official cannot be easily fired before election day; Officials, however, should -not take advantage of this condition, which is in ( effect a public trust. They should be as con--Klentlous in their service as individuals employed privately without a definite tenure of office. But -the fact of the matter is that they are not. With the approach of the campaign some of our public officials are devoting too much of ( their time to partisan affairs. The time they should be spending in their offices is devoted to j '.furthering the interests of some candidate for j " political office. These men should be warned ' In tima Ikal 4h!c i.,n ln.. n,it, r.,i. mil!,.:. l , in time mat mis tendency may react against j ; them that it may defeat the very purpose of .their ill-advised campaigns. The Telegram is distinctly opposed to this " practice and intends to insist that public officials, "partisan or otherwise, render a full day's work for a full day's pay. Men who campaign oit -the time for which they draw public pay are not to be regarded as the best public servants. The practice is not only unlawful, but contrary to the 'conscientious scruples of those people who look ;to the various political parties to furnish a I clean and honest administration of the affairs of 2overnment a.