The Russellville Democrat., 1891-03-05
HON. LAWRENCE RUSSELL
His Speech on the Final Passage of House Bill No. 1O2.


 of House Bill No. 1O2. The house having under consider ation house bill No. l02, s bill for an act to be entitled: "An act to amend Sec. 5663 of Mansfeld's Di gest," as follows:
 SECTION |. That section five thousand six hundred and sixty three (5663) of Mansfield's Digest be amended to read as follows
 The Assessor herein provided foI shall appraise the real and personal property in his county in such man ner and at such times as is prescrib ed by this act, and shall be allowed the following compensation for his services: For each name listed, twenty cents, and all Of the property belonging to one individual or corpor- ation in the county be counted as one name; for each list of realsprop erty, the owner or owners of which are unknown, or non residents, one dollar, and all such lands in ons township and range to be embraced or counted as one list; but if any unknown person or non resident owns lands in more than one township, he shall be allowed one dollar for each township. PROVIDED, No fee shall be allowed any Asses sor for listing any name or personal property, unless sald party or prop erty, as the case may be, is in the county and subject to taxation.
 Mir Russell said:
 MR. SPEAKER l do not stand here, nor have l stood elsewhere, as an advocate for the reduction of the salaries of our officials below limit that IS adequate and just. But it IS so apparent that the assessors are overpaid, I have offered this bill to remedy the evil.
 The bill is decidedly conversative, for it asks for a reduction of only D cents on each name listed by the assessor. Under the existing law he is entitled to 25 cents; under the proposed measure he will receive 20 cents for each name listed.
 The bill is fair, for it does not in- terfere with the rights of the present incumbents of the office. If the bill becomes law it will not take effect until November l, 1892.
 1 am informed, sir, that in my county, where there are near four thousand tax payers, the assessor receives eleven hundred dollars for about four months work, or two hundred and seventy five dollars per month. In the same county the county judge receives only six hundred dollars. Where is the nee esslty or reason for this distinction in favor of the assessor2 Why should we pay an assessor two hun dred and seventy five dollars per month, when the services of the best book keeper Tn our country towns can be secured for seventy five dol lars per month? But some one may say, that the assessor is employed only for short time, and has to leave his regular calling. In reply to this l will say, that the assessor as rule, can employ some one to take his place at home for seventy | five dollars per month; this, in my county, would leave him two bun dred dollars for each months ser vice. The argument may be offered, that in small counties where the tax payers are fewer, the pay of the as sessor will not be so large. Certain | ly not, but the assessors in these counties are employed for shorter time. By reference to Sec. 566S. of Mansfield's Digest you will find that the law provides for the time the assessor shall remain iD each town ship; that when the voters are few he is required to remain but a short time. Therefore, where the county has a small voting population, the assessor can perform his work in a shorter time. In such counties he can, in all probability, perform both bis assessing and work upon his books in two months, and I dare say $450 CT $500 is good pay for two months work. It may be said that his time is also taken up looking af ter delinquents. In reply to this we will call attention to Sec. 5670 oi Mansfield's Digest, where it is pro vided that he shall receive 50 cents for each delinquent.
 The very fact that so many men seek this office every two years is an evidence that the fee is too high and ought to be reduced. There were from ten to dozen candidates for this office in my county at the last election, and in my neighbor county, Johnson, there were fifteen. Verllv, where the carcass is, there the ca gles are gathered together"
 True, the reduction asked for in the bill is small, but if it becomes a law it will save the people of the state about S7500 per annum. Where does the assessors pay come from, any way2 Indirectly from the people. How many of these people receive more than $400 or $500 for twelve months. toil2 Where then, is the justice in paying our assessors double this amount? l do not see how the members of this house can oppose this bill, and then go home and satisfy the people that the vote was cast in the right direc tion.
 Trusting, sir, that the majority of the members here are in a good hu