Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1895-07-31
COSTS OF THE COURTS.
San Juan Index Unjustly Criticises
Judge Laughlin for Furnishing
Estimates for 1896-Levy
Suggested in Santa Fe
County.

The law commands the county commis-
sioners of the various counties of New
Mexico to levy an annual tax for the
maintenance of courts. For the con-
venience ana information of the different
boards of commissioners of the 1st judi
cial district, Judge Laughlin some time
ago instructed Clerk Wyllys to make
careful estimates of the court expenses
in the several counties of the district for
the year 1896. Basing his estimates on
regular terms of twelve weeks in Santa
Fe county, six weeks each in Taos and
Rio Arriba counties and four weeks in
San Juan county, and figuring the cost of
holding court at about $3.50 per day, the
clerk arrived at conclusions, which he
promptly transmitted to the several
counties. The following is copy of one
of the letters he sent out:
To the Board of County Commissioners of the
County of San Juan.
Santa Fe, N. NJ, July 10, 1861 have
been directed by the Hon. N B. Laughlin,
Judge of the district court, to say to you
that after careful estimate, it will re-
quire the sum of $4,000 for the mainte-
nance of the district court inyour county,
and to req uest that you make the necessary
levy for the raising of such sum. Very
respectfully, GEO. l.. WYLLys. Clerk.
Index the text for an exceedingly mis-
leading article. The Index begins by
calling the foregoing letter an "order"
and follows this up with the foolish re-
mark that "the commissioners are or
dered to place $4,000 to the credit of the
court fund, and there is to be no guess
work about it," The intelligent reader
will instantly perceive that there is not
line nor word in the letter of Mr..
Wyllys that even remotely warrants the
Index in making and such statements
respecting it. The letter is in no pos
sible sense an "order." 1t simply CON
veys an important item of information
for the guidance of the county commits
sioners and makes "request" that is
proper in all respects.
The Index proceeds to say further:
"The assessor has about completed his
books and to place this order into effect
will necessitate considerable work on the
part of that Office, to say nothing about
the extra expense to the county. The
people are now asking why, if such
sum is needed for court purposes in this
county during the year 1896, die not
Judge Laughl,n forward his instructions
to the board at least six weeks earlier?"
This is nonsense.
The assessor has no more to do with
levylng taxes than the editor of the Index.
The assessor simply prepares the assess
ment rolls, and, after passing upon and
equalizing the valuations of property as
fixed by the assessor, the county commits
sioners levy the taxes thereon. And, as
to the question of time, the Index admits
that the assessor has only "about com.
pleted his books" This conclusively
proves that the commissioners could not
have levied the tax suggested by Judge
Laughlin before this, even if he had 'for-
warded his instructions to the board at
least six weeks earlier"
Mr.. Wyllys sent to the commissioners
of this county letter precisely like that
sent to San Juan county, except that the
amount suggested is $4,000, or $3.50 per
day for twelve weeks of seven days each
This amount will doubtless be levied here,
as the people of this county feel the need
of courts, and have no disposition to fiud
fault with the judge for telling them at
the proper time how much they will prob
ably cost.