The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-22

in their boundaries no incorporated
towns for which special taxes are lev
led, collected and disbursed, and this
is also true with regard to other spec
ial levies for schools, roads. bridges.
ETC., N in such counties that levy
and collect these special taxes, the
receipts are greatly increased, and it
naturally follows, the services and e
sponsibility of such county officials
are correspondingly increased.
At the same time the classification
of counties being based on territorial
collections, a small county, land a
majority of our counties are small
and do not levy these taxes) is natur-
ally forced into a higher class and
has to pay the higher salaries than it
should if tne classification were based
ON all collections. proceeds of levies
for territorial, county, municipal,
school and all special taxes; also. IL
quor, gambling and merchandise licen
ses. All of which are regular and fix
ed sources of venue in all counties
of the Territory.
As a suggestion, l believe it would
be wise to consider carefully the chan
ging of the classification of the coun
ties from the present method, namely
from the territorial tax collection
alone, to all fixed AID stable sources
of revenue as mentioned above"
L-x -~- H.
basis above mentioned, the collections
of the county treasurer snail exceed
the sum Of $4,000 annually such cou
nty shall be classified in class "A";;
over $780, 900 and under 100000, in
class "B"; over $780, 900 and under
$3.50, 900, in class CO.; over SIS, 900,
and under 100000 in class I'd" over
$4,000 and under $4,000, in class
e.; n under $50, 900 in class e..
The grading having been fixed C
cording to this classification, it is sug
gested that the compensation of the
assessor and %reaurer be fixed on a
graded scale of percentages: Two
per e n il the case of counties in
"a" class up to four per cent in coun
ties of the "F' class. By this method
the compensation of these officers in
the richer counties, while not exces-
Sive as is now the case, would be rea
solable for the amount of work done;
while their compensation in the coun-
ties receiving smaller incomes would,
on account of the larger rate paid to
them, receive compensation common
surate with the amount of work done
by them.
The amount received in one of the
larger counties, under the exist
ing law, was nearly $500 last
year, which is manifestly Excess
sive and a hardship on the tax
payers. Under the new range
ment the same treasurer would
receive about $4,000 on the two per
cent basis. In counties of class e.
and CO under the new classification
the t~reasurers and assessors would re
ceive practically the same as they do
now.
I believe that this suggestion is a
SOoo O1O oAAd ShoS d Ao" ooSS I'll
the basis of the classification propos-
ed would be acceptable to the people
of the Territory. The salaries OF the
county officials as fixed under he elias
.sification contained in Chapter 60 of
the laws of 1905 being il some cases
manifestly unjust, it would be advisa-
BILE in amending the law as TO the clas
~sifcation to also make new provisions
in regard to salaries of officials out
side of assessors and treaurers. In
reaching a basis upon which tc com
pute compensation for these officials,
care should De had to take into con
sideration all the statistics and every
source of information available, keep
ing in mind botn the work to be per-
formed and the financial capacities
of the various counties to pay salar-
les.
Care should be taken in adjustment
of salaries, not to reduce them so
much as to prevent competent men
from accepting important Offices, and
not to so increase them as to make
them rich political prizes.
Maintenance of Territorial and Chart
table Institutions.
AS will be seen from the above, a
large share of the taxation to which
the people of the Territory are sub
ject, is imposed in order to maintain
the territorial institutions and the cha
institutions of the Territory.
The Territorial Auditor in the sugges-
lions contained in his report says: