Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-12-09
Sig GrunSfeId, Upon Refusal of
County Board to Pay 4 per
Cent Commissions, Files No.
tice That He viii Bring Suit,
MEANS TEST OF SALARY
LAW PASSED IN 1907
to Work for Lower SaIa-
rieS on WhCih He Was Elect
ed in 1906 Apparently For
gotten by Officer Who Wants
the Money,

lIl6 WO'l6y'
An Interesting sidolight on the ~,
litical history Of BernalilIo county i,
the foundations of a lawsuit OF dee,
interest and great Importance to ar.
taxpayers of BcrnallIo couuty Wcr,
furnished all at one ana the sar ,
time yesterday afternoon when sig
fried Grunsfeld, county assessor. APP
pcared through his attorney. before
special meeting Of the board of couu-
ty commissioners and presented a for
NAL demand for the sum Of $9.2SFN9
constituting -four per cent upon collie T.
tons made IN assessments returned
by him from January LIST, 1907. to ana
including September. 1908.
According to the law regulating
county salaries, passed by the legti-
laturel of 1907, shortly after Grunsfeld
took office, the compensation of county
trcasurcrs and county assessors in
counties of class a, in which this
county stands alone, were reduced
to two per cent per annum. upon the
.NpNtl AlFh9N EIlilLlll0 ullh AbliNlAlOil0
made. such two per cen to become
imperative after such commissions
had reached the sum of $4.5OO.
This law was passed in response to
a powerful wave of public sentiment
IN Berualillo county. demanding that
Some curtatimcnt be put upon the eX-
horbitant salaries of assessor and
treasurer, having been the ones to-
ward which this sentiment was chief
~ directed. Up to the passage of the
law of 1907, the assessor and treas
urer OF this county received four per-
cent upon all collections of county
funds both from licenses and taxes.
These commission amounted to sums
which tQtaled more money than was
expended for he running expenses. or
general funds of the county. The
treasurer drew from $4,000 to $4,000
a year. and the assessor amounts in
proportion.
The county, as the beginning OF
1907 was just beginning TO struggle
UP from virtual bankruptcy and Mr..
Grunsfeld, the present claimant, MI.
John :. Beaver, present county tres
urer, and other county officers nov
serving. were elected upon a platform
one of the PRINCIPAL plarks of VIII eP
was a demand for a reduction of coun-
~ salaries to a basis iT proportion 10
the service performed. The canui-
dates upon the fusion, or peoples
ticket, which was elected by trcmcn-
dous majoritics. were pledged to sup
port the platform and carly in the
somewhat strenuous campaign the
candidates authorized a special pub
l%ication, stating that if elected they
would work to the best of their ability
To secure immediate reduction Of
county salaries; and that they would
put no obstacles in the way of carry
ing out the pledge to the people. The
pledge was faithfully carried out. The
eounty's representatives in the legis-
laturc began Immediately to work up
ON a county salary bill. and while the
bin passed, was not satisfactory to
me members of the legislature from
this county, or to the people of this
and other counties, II was recognized
as a beginning and was hailed with
delight by the people of this county,
The only one which qualified through
revenue for class A..
Almost Immediately it became
known that Mr.. Grunsfold was deep
ly9 dissatisfied with the salary hin
which reduced his compensation from
@ possible $40, 600. and a probable So
eco "a year to $4,000 a year. The as
SCISSOR, In fact. made no effort to con
ccal his extreme dissatisfaction ana
stated openly that he would take legal
steps to recover his old four per cent,
The amount in force when he was cleo
TED. and which he held to be his due.
His claim was that the law was sEe-
clal legislation. aimed directly at two
offices in this county. was not a gen
cral law and would therefore not
stand the test Of the courts and it Is
presumed these are the grounds upon
which his threatened suit to recover
VIII be based. The only other officer
affected by the new law was the coun-
" treasurer. 1t has been generally
understood hat Treasurer John 5
Beaven also proposed to take lcgal
steps to break the Law If possible. al
'hough Mr.. Beaver has thus far given
no public notice of any Kind that he
proposes to take such action.
AIR. Grunsfeld was a candidate for
'eaomlnation ON the republican ticket
nor to the last election and but for
'ls open statement that he did not
propose 10 stand 10y the pledge made
.' the people i'm 1906 for lower
''unt salaries. ne would have been
2 strong candidate for the nomination
'ller he IS recognized as a capable
'Hlcial in the administration Of his
mice But the general knowledge
MAJ he did not intend To stand by
pc platform upon which he was cleo
." made his defeat for the nomina-
i"n "a f~oregone clusion
The county commissioner yester-
iaE afternoon promptly refused 10
'hsider the assessor demand Upon
NOTION Of Chairman Alfred Grunsfeid.
. by Mr.. Armiio. the board (,
''ed that the claim be not allowed.
.ii immrd af.ly voted o. allow ID.
>s"r two per cent of the coiiec