Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-04-12
A Foolish Veto.

The Governor for some unaccohuta.
BILE reason has seen fit to exercise his
power and veto the bill lately passed by
the General Assembly increasing the
pay of assessors from one to two dollars
per day. The veto was put upon the
ground that there was no public de
mand for the increased pay provided
for by the act OF assembly. 1t is not
unfair to say that the Governor never
undertook to inquire whether or not
there was demand for this bill. II he
had done so he most certainly would
have learned from representatives from
all parts of the State that their constlt
uents did honestly demand the passage
Of the bill, and that for the work to be
done one dollar per day was entirely too
poor pay.
All assessments should be we'll done
To have them faithfully and honestly
made, men who are responsible and
competent should be chosen. Men who
have good sound judgment and at least
fair business qualifications make good
assessors but how can VIC secure such
men unless they are fairly paid. At
this season of the year when our assess.
ment has to be made, the men engaged
in it from the day laborer to the thrifty
farmer can make at anything else from
two to five dollars per day. To do what
they have to do they must give their
time. find a horse and bear their own
expenses, all on one dollar per day.
Surely the Governor knew not what he
was doing Beside all this the bill was
simply carrying out the principles OF
our constitution. To prevent the evils
Of special legislation on subjects OF this
kind. the constitution provides that
the Legislature shall not pass any local
or special law regulating the affairs OF
counties, cities, townships, &c. This
bill made the pay of assessors uniform.
There are large number of special acts
passed before the adoption OF the pres
ent constitution relating to the pay OF
assessors, and 10 show bow utterly IN.
reasonable the Governor has been in his
veto, We giyea list OF the counties which
they relate to and the pay per day al
lowed by each.
In the counties Of Allegheny, Beaver,
Crawford, Clearficld, Cumberland, Erie,
Lawrence, LuEerne, Nenango, Mercer,
Montgomery, Washington and Lehigh
assessors are paid two dollars per day.
In the county OF >chuylkill it is thro"
dollars per day. In ten others II j. re
dollar and fifty cents per day.
This list shows two thinRs. First,
that in at least fifteen counties beside
the large cities, public sentiment has
long ago compelled an increase Of rs.
SCISSORS pay 10 the exact amount fixed in
the vetoed bill Second. That there is
great inequality OF the laws in force
relating to the pay of assessors. In.
equality before the Law Is one OF the
evils the constitution Of 1873 was made
to break down, and here il the very
Governor elected on that direct issue
and sworn to carry out the provisions Of
the sacred instrument, blocking the
way to this happy contamination 10y the
inudicious use OF the veto power.
When the act of the 18th of April.
1894. under which our assessors are paid
was passed, the salary Of the Governor
was not over twenty. five hundred dol
lars, to-day it is ten thousand dollars
We believe in public as we'll as private
economy, but when it is calculated that
the Governor receives thirty.three and
oue.third dollars per day, counting three
hundred working days to the year, he
ought not to complain when the repre-
sentstives of the people pass bill fix.
ing assessors pay at only two dollars per
day. The bill vetoed did nothing more
than allow = fair days pay and it de-
manded fair days work in return.