Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-04
Admitted That There Are
Ninety-Four Names on the
Payroll Instead of Eighty
Six.
SCRAMBLE TO REDUCE
SALARIES OF THE EXTRAS
Poor Pay for Competent EN-
pIoyes'in Order That the In
CompetentS May Be Cared
For,
The Morning Journal Bureau
Santa Fe. N. NJ, Feb. ?.

|
| Santa F'e. N. NJ, Feb. g
The publication of the names of the
extra employees of the house of rep
resentatlves, together with their du-
| ties and the salaries they have been
slated to receive, showing as it does
| that on the basis of that arrangement
| the payroll for the assembly for the
| session for extra employees would run
over $4,000, has caused the men who
have fostered the extra employe sys-
| tenn to run for cover in a somewhat
! wild scramble to bring down the ex-
pense to a more reasonable basis.
The Santa Fe New Mexican, always
/ the supporter and advocate of the eX-
| ira employe graft and representing
the men who have fostered the sys-
tenn has come out with a statement
| that the total payroll of the session
will amount to but $1,000. This
statement is made upon the assump-
| tion that the pay of the employees Will
| be cut to an average of SO per day.
This cut has not yet been effected as
nearly as can be learned. The inter-
esting fact has come out, however,
that instead of the eighty-six em-
| ployes on the extra list, believed by
many members of the legislature to
upon, there are ninety-four of these
employees, an increase since the last
[ agreement was reached of eight more
extras. These eight extras 1t Is under
Stood have been made necessary by
tn imperative demand for competent
help there having been but two com
petent stenographers on the original
house list, where at least six fast ones
are needed.
The fact remains that of the origi-
nal eighty-six all are expecting to re-
ceive their pay on the basis agreed
upon and which appeared in the
Morning journal in full yesterday.
A reduction of the average pay of
the nnety-four extras now admitted
to be on the list to SO per day. would
reduce the payroll for the session to a
little less than $4,000, and even this
reduction would be a source of gratl-
fication to the people although 1t
would still be $1,000 or more than Is
necessary to put the assembly on iiat
working basis. But the plaintive plea
is made that competent people are
working on pay that is far below what
they deserve.
This is true.
But whose fault is it?
Competent interpreters. stenogra-
pliers and clerks who work for their
money. the few competent people on
the payroll do, work very hard. They
deserve, and should receive high sal
aries, for the work is special work
continuing but for sixty days and fore
ing them to give up regular employ
ment to take the jobs They do not re-
ceive what their work is worth. They
are held down to Inadequate salaries
and forced to work at high speed.
Why?
Because the extra employe payroll
is clogged with absolutely useless and
incompetent people, who are put there
for petty political graft; who are not
worth twenty cents a week to the as
sembly in the transaction of its busl-
ness. yet who use up the money which
should go to pay the competent en-
ployes for the work they do.
This is an injustice so manifest that
when the reduction of the average
pay" is advanced as an excuse for
packing the payroll the graft appears
in even a more ugly light.
The average nay has not yet been
reduced to SO. If 1t is and the list Of
employees Is not reduced, 1t will be
done at the expense of the competent
stenographers and clerks who work
long hours to do the work of the as
sembly.
The statement Is made without
! fear of contradiction that twenty-five
extra employees. together with those
paid by the federal government, 40
! the work of the assembly. Where do
| the rest of the ninetyfour get their
excuse for drawing on the territorial
! treasury?
Simply from the extra employe
graft system, established by the ma
chine. The thoughtful members of
the assembly, and their number is
rapidly increasing, see and say, that
the only way to settle this question Is
| to cut off the useless names from the
| payroll and thus once and forever end
the graft system.
| True, IL the effort now being made
: to reduce the average pay, per em-
ploye. to SO a day succeeds, 1t will be
necessary to violate the law only by
/ the appropriation Of a little more than
$4,000. But the average has not yet
been reduced to SO. II is doubtful II
1t is so reduced IL ii can be kept
there. This reduction Will, If made.
/ be a concession to the demands of the
people who are unanimous in con-
demning the extra employe graft for
which their money Is paid out.
But II leaves the system still in ex-
| istence.
1t is recognized that the one way to
end the system is to cut the names of
the useless ones from the list. The
effort on the part Of the machine to
make the reduction Is a hopeful sign.
1t shows that the demands of the peo-
pie for the elimination of this system
have been heard. But the question Is
stlll asked why. If In reducing the
pay TO this average the people who do
the real work of the assembly are
| forced to work for greatly reduced
and Inadequate pay is II necessary to
keep all the ninety-four doorkeepers
assistant dOOrkeepers, assistant seq
geants at arms and committee clerks,