The  following  reasons  are  presented  as  representing  the  views  of
the  majority  in  support  of  said  report:

The  present  rate  of  compensation  for  members  of  the  Legisla-
ture was  fixed  by  a  constitutional  amendment  adopted  November
3,  1874.  Prior  to  that  date,  under  the  Constitution  of  1846  it
had  been  $3  per  day,  limited  to  $300  for  the  per  diem,  with  mile-
age as  at  present.  The  Constitutional  Convention  of  1894  only
continued  the  existing  compensation.  Legislators  are,  therefore,
now  serving  for  a  compensation  considered  adequate  by  the  people
of  the  State  forty-one  years  ago,  and  based  on  the  conditions  then
existing.     Since  then  the  necessary  cost  of  living  has  greatly  in-


Doc.  No.  20  2

creased,  so  that  the  purchasing  power  of  a  dollar  then  and  now  is
essentially  different.  Salaries  of  other  officers  and  employees  of
the  State  have  from  time  to  time  been  greatly  increased.  It  is
conceded,  we  think,  that  the  present  compensation  of  members  of
the  Legislature  is  wholly  inadequate,  and  that  members  give  their
time  and  service  to  the  State  at  an  actual  loss.
The  Legislature  is  the  most  important  department  of  the  State,
has  the  most  important  duties  to  perform  relative  to  the  man-
agement of  affairs  of  the  State,  and  its  members  are  peculiarly  the
agents  of  the  people  for  the  performance  of  those  duties,  it  is
also  generally  conceded  that  the  Legislature  should  be  representa-
tive of  all  classes  of  citizens,  rich  and  poor,  exalted  and  humble.
