Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-02-04
TRUTH ABOUT
EMPLOYE GRAFT
Pay Roll Not Pad.
ded With Useless
Help.
ODD REFORM SYSTEM
By"White Winged" Members
Of House-.-Had More Than
Their Pro Rata Share.

with the usual glaring headlines,
the Albuquerque Fakir Journal and
other anti-Republcan papers of New
Mexico have exposed their usual lg-
norance of public affairs by so.
called exposure of the Legislative
Employe Graft
This statement was made yesterday
by one of the members of the AS
sembly, who had just read with
amusement, a statement of compare
tive figures, etc
The truth about the employees was
published Saturday in the New
Mexican There are a total of ninety
four in both Houses. AT So day
which IS to be the average pay per
employe day, the pay roll would at
the present rate reach about $4,000.
This was also published Saturday in
the New Mexican.
To Keep Pay Roll Down.
1t was stated by member of the
Assembly that a majority of the mem.
bers in both Houses We're determined
to keep the pay roll within the SIS.
300 appropriation for extra employees
and that if 1t was found necessary,
of those now on the list would
be dropped even should it leave the
force of employees smaller than was
needed.
The statistics and the fake" pay
roll as published in the Albuquerque
Nakir Journal, misrepresent the facts
grossly, The employees have been
credited with receiving more pay by
several dollars, in most cases than
they will get.
However, the matter, although clev-
orly disguised under the sheepslin
of an exposure did nothing more
than expose the underlying malice
which prompted the misrepresenta-
tion.
Another little matter which leaked
out yesterday in connection with the
exposure of graft methods" was the
fact that several House members who
have passed as holding down the.
pay roll with might and main" had
their pro rata of employees on the said
much talked about pay roll That was
not the worst-when the pay roll was
being made up three of these white
wings were found to have more than
their pro rata share Of employees on
the House lst-just exactly double
the number of those who had not done
80 much talking about holding down
the expenses but who had acted with
y spirit of decency
"White Wings" But Black Hearts.
1t also leaked out that those same
white wings kicked up about the
only rnmpus that was made in the
when the axe was passed
around and their number OF employees
we're reduced to the pro rata.
The Albuquerque Fakir Journal has
spent two weeks in trying to con-
vince the unsophisticated public that
these white winged" house members
did not really care to have any en-
ployes on that pay roll and that they
we're paying no attention to the eau
cuses other than to keen down the
extra expense The truth of the
matter however, IS that these would
be reformers believe in reforming the
other fellow.
The members of the House general
ly do not object to allowing these
white wings" their pro rata of em-
ployes but they do object to having
5hem try to "swipe" the biggest piece
of pie while trying to fix the blame
on some one else.
The Fakir Journal also, with its
usual disregard for truth, states that
Chairman H. o. Bursum, helped to
carve the "Pie." The facts are that
Mr.. Bursum secured the appointment
of but one man, a competent steno-
grapher for his own Office of which
he stood greatly in need. Five other
employees were allowed MIN by the
caucus and every one was named by
members of the Assembly and Mr..
wishes in the matter were
not even consulted.
viii Not Be Found Wanting.
"As matter of fact" said a mem
Der of the Assembly yesterday, 1T
will he found by the time the legis-
lature adjourns in March that there
has been no pie cutting that there
has been no 'employe graft and that
the present body has conducted itself
in a manner to secure the greatest
good for the greatest number these
white winged reformers of the
House to the contrary notwithstand-
Ing"