Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-02

shall be paid over to the credit Of 10
general school fund
ser g. The classification Of thc sex
eral counties ~ this territory shall %
made each voar bN the territorial
travelling auditor. and shall De asret
tained and determined from the col
lectipns made from the sources mon
toned I'm section !. bN the collector
Of the several counties ~ this 'crri
tory. for The fiscal year ending De
cemher 81 and previous 20 The yea.
for which services are 90 be- rendered
and the territorial travelling auditor
shall Immediately after the passage 81
this act. ana herenf. on or bcfor'
abe first day Of MAIN q. each year
certify ta each board 81 county COM
missioners the classification of theIt
respective counties for the current
year. ascertained IN the manner here
iubefore prescribed
Sec. 8. Any member 81 an, board
of county commissioners Of his ter
fitary after the notice OF classlica .
ion ~ their respective counties has
been certified 10 them by the terrific
rial travelling auditor who shall cause
or allow 10 be paid 60 any ountv Of
fetal ~hereinbefore mentioned. either
salary or compensation greater than
the amounts or percentages herein SET
forth. shall be liable 10 summary re-
moVal by the governor Of this terri
tory.
Sec. 6. All acts and parts Of acts in
conflict with this act ARE hereby rec
pealed, and this act shall take effect
and be Ia full force on and after
April !. 1907.
The Travelling auditors Theory.
"To understand just how unjust and
impractical the straight salary basis
would be for the office Of assessor
and of treasurer aud collector SAID
Travelling Auditor Stafford, IN discuss
iuR his bin. III rs necessary 10 have
q thorough knowledge Of the differ
ences IN The volume Of business done
in the several counties of New Mex
leo by these s%offices. The variations
are very considerable even in coun-
ties Of the same class. For instance.
in class A. or The first class counties.
in which the salaries Of the assessors
and treBsuFers are now far TOO high,
and where the demand Tor reduction
Is greatest. There are fou of thcsc
counties, Berualillo. ChaYes, Colfax
and San Miguel. Chayes county
makes a greater return 10 the tcrri-
tori than any Of the other three coun-
Ties. Chaves county returns about
s42. 600 TO the territorial treasury.
while Bernalillo county only returnS
approximately 10000. Vet the total
volume of business which passes
through the t~reasurer'p office I'm Ber-
naiiilo county is fully oue-third great
~ than that passing through the
same office In Chaves. ColfaN or san
Miguel county This. as can be read
rs understood by a study Of the tav
rntes Of the several counties, IS due to
the fact that special levies made i'm
Hcrnatillo county are not made I'm the
other counties.
IN Bernaltilo county for 1906. Tor
Instance, the total receipts Of the
treasurer's office amounted TO SELL
1860.
In Chaves county tho total receipts
last year were but Si6b Coz so. Yet
both Of these counties are first-class
counties or counties IN class A To
put the treasurer Of ChaVes county.
tr|AnsactinR q third less business. do
Ing a third less work on the same
STRAIGHT salary as would be paid the
treasurer or Bernalillo county, would
be mauifestly unjust. The reduction
If the percentage from 4 10 % per
cent. proposed by this bin, will reduce
the treasuter's salary In Bernalillo
county from it's present ex%travagant
basis. to a fair one. aud at the same
time leave the incentive for fun and
faithful collections while this same
percentage basis gives a fair return
iI the other first-clHss counties, on the
basis OF the actual work performed.
"ro give another Instance, ColfaX
county although IN the same class
with Bernalillo. last year had total re-
ceipts OF but &tb9.9t6P3. while san
Miguel had total receipts Ut but t15G-
330.14 To give The same straight
salary 30 tie treasurers IN these last
named counties as Is given to the
treasurer In HetrHlillo county would
be manifostlt unjust to The official ln
Bernaliilo county. ana 10 the taXpny
IN Colfay Ch5yet and san Miguel
counties,
'1'he same condition applies TO the
assessors nfficc. have made NO att
Tempt "a go into "a other county Of
on tho salary question and VIII
that tu othcrs The tWo offices
for which legislation is proposed iu
bill have come directly under my
observation and supervision for ScN-
oral Years. and ! am In a position to
soc the whole territory n not a sim
county or 81 single cl1ss of "a
lies The graded percentage increas-
ing from 9 per cent In counties of
A to 4 per cent Boa counties NJ
r IS absolutely necessary for ln
tho lower class counties the c%ollco-
tons are so small that ~ order to civ"
"a decent salarV the higher per cent
ie necessary. Tho decent salary Ia ueC-
essnry. ms Is wcll known in order mat
men may be secured tor these
offices. and that there Ne no tempta-
lion to dishonesty land lu passing
To- say that for the past two
Years there has not been 81 d~cfalcatlon, /
q shortage or "a serious ir%regulnrltN Iu
amy county office Boa New Mexico
which has come uudr' NV supcrNIs
ion.