The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-09
SALARY CUT HUMBUG.
Futile Debate Over Wildes'
Bad Bill-Mere Flabber-
CAST Arguments.
Special 10 the Jersey ostu Nesss

TRENTON, March 9, 1S97.-The incident
of last evening in the House was a short
debate over Mr.. Wildes' bill reducing the
salaries of all State officials except the
Governor, Chancellor and Judges of the
Supreme Court. The Committee on Ju-
dietary made two reports on the bill pro-
viding for a reduction of State officers
salaries. Mr.. Borton, of the committee,
submitted an adverse favorable report.
The majority report states that no facts
have been given to the committee to
show nor any investigation been made
that would justify the assumption that
all salaries to be affected by the measure
are unreasenably proportioned to the SER
vices rendered. Some of the State officers
are receiving no undue compensation
measured by any standard known to the
business world. The principle OF horizon
tai reduction, in the absence of the clear
est proof that all salaries are not only
high, but p-roportionately high is, there
fore, a manifest wrong and perverted one.
That some employees of the State may be
receiving too much is no justification for
striking down him whose pay is just.
1t is r the Governor, Chancellor and
Chief Justice receive $4,000 per annum
the Vice Chancellor and Supreme Court
Justices IS. 1000, and to the man whose in
come is measured by as many hundreds,
such salaries may be considered large,
yet this standard is obviously not the
measure by which it shall be determined
that the State is paying too much. New
Jersey is a great Commonwealth, and in
the hands Of these officials rest the preser-
r-o&;4, of tL4r4 -
erty rights. To say that the State can
afford to be niggardly in compromising
those in whom such trusts are reposed
is. to limit the choice to inefficient public
servants, to men Of. wealth. or worse, the
dishones and designing. None of these
alternatives would be accepted with
equanimity by our people. The fair fame
of the administration of justice In our
State is proverbial and this distinction
is in no small degree due to the fact that
New Jersey, by fair compensation, pro-
cures the best talent in the profession
from which her Judiciary is drawn. This
good name and the high character of her
judicial rulings would be a birthright far
too valuable to exchange for the pecuni-
airy saving proposed in the present bill,
a saving which at best could but remotely
and in slight degree affect the taxes of
the people. 1t is u~ndeniable thai the best
lawyers of the State receive in practice
much above the salaries paid our Judges.
Less than 5000, ven with the addition
of judicial station, can hardly be ex-
pected to procure talent capable of earn
ing three times as much. Nor does your
committee believe that any general de-
and exists among the people for a re-
duction of Judicial salaries and taking
from the operation of the bill those in
judicial office, the saving in the proposed
bill is small. That complaint, deep and
well founded, was directed against the
e~xtravaga1t fee system, Is well known.
and the Legislature last year passed
legislation removing the pernicious laws
which served TO divert many thousands
Nof dollars from their proper channel In
their place salaries of $1,000 per annum
to each of the incumbents were substi-
tuted. The fairness Of this compensation,
In view Of the heavy responsibilities as
stunned, a not been questioned by any
person or in any section, SO far as FOUR
committee can learn. Again, let the COM
private employment. In our large banks
n insurance companies salaries as
high, and often In excess of these, are
continually paid to obtain roper service,
and your committee falls to perceive
upon what basis New Jersey can escape
the law of supply n demand The re-
port also states that there Is no doubt
but that the proposed bill is unconsti-
t%utional, because the Constitution forbids
the passage of any special law Creating,
increasing, or decreasing the percentages
or allowances of public officers during the
term for which they were elected or APP
pointed Believing the bill to be wrong
in principle and unjust in Its application,
your committee is constrained to report
the same. adversely.
The matter was discussed on a motion
to substitute the minority for the major
fty report. Mr.. Wildes. speaking for the
motion, said that II was not expected Of
him to apply to this brief, the majority
report Of four astute lawyers. The rel
port was only the Judgment Of four men,
There were sixty men in the Assembly
and the bill ought to come before the
House and the Judgment OF all expressed
upon the measure.
England compels her judges he said
Ito come down from the WoOlsack, the
realms OF reason, as It were
I rise to a point of order" shouted Mr..
urquhart. THE courts of England have
nothing to do with the courts Of Nept
Jersey
He was declared out OF order, and MI
Wildes said hat if the lawyers got their
common law and presidents from the
English courts he did not see why he
couldn't use IN illustration from the
same source. He then went on to sal