Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-01-15
BEAVEN KEEPS
4 PER CENT
AS FEES
RETIRING TREASURER
HAS CHANGE OF HEART
Action Interesting in View of
Letter Written in 1907 De-
cIaring that 1.-THE People
Come First"

John S. Beaven who has for the
past two years held the office of treas
urer and collector OF Rernalllo county,
has turned over to his successor, Ed
ward Pinney, the new treasurer, the
county funds, retaining four per cent
as his commissions instead of the two
per cent permitted by the act of the
last legislature reducing county sal
aries. The sum withheld by Mr..
Beaven Is $4,000 for the two years
ending Jan. 1. 1903.
Mr. Beaven was elected to office on
platform favoring lower county sal
aries and is understood to be on rec
ord publicly and privately in favor
of the law reducing his salary.
Mr. Beaven yesterday turned over
some $685. 900 to Mr.. Pinney at the
court house, making with a previous
payment of some $4,000, a total
roughly of $4,000, there being
slightly over 100000 in the treas
urer's hands. The following receipt
given by the new treasurer to Mr.
Beaven yesterday gives the exast fig
ures
Receipt.
Received of John S. Beaven, this
14th day of January 1908, check NO.
316 in the sum of siXty-six thousand
three hundred thrty-two dollars and
fifty-hve cents, to apply on balance
due Bernalillo county as shown by
books of said county together with
fifty dollars on deposit with n. w.
Harris e 60. of New York Ci ana
a payment of twenty thouse one
hundred sixty dollars and thirty two
cents, made January /, 1909. making
4 total paid TO Edward Pinney, Of
eighty-six thousand five hundred
Corty-two dollars aud eighty-seyen
cents.
tSigaed) "EDvt ~ PINNEY,
1t is presumed that the county com
missioners will take legal action look
ing to the payment by Mr.. Beaven of
III but the two per cent commission
by the legislative act. This
measure which was passed during the
closing days OF the legislature of 1907
provides that in counties of Glass A.
of which Bearnalillo county is the
only representative, the remuneration
of the county treasurer ana collector
shall be two per cent instead of four
per cent, the amount allowed prior to
the passage of the act. and that the
total for any one year shall not exceed
$4,000
This measure was passed by the
legislature as the result of a strong
popular demand that salaries Of coun-
ty officers should be made commen-
surate with the service performed.
A monster petition asking for the re-
duction was signed by practically all
the leading citizens of Albuquerque
and big delegation went up to San
Ia Fe to press the passage of the meas
ure.
In statement published in the
journal OF February %,
1907 by Mr.. Beaven he declared that
he had long felt that the salaries of
officers were far in excess
IF a reasonable compensation" and
that while it would affect him person
ally he was heartily in favor of the
legislation, this being a repetition OF
his ante election pledges. Mr.. Beaven's 8
was a copy of letter
written to Celso Lopez of Santa Fc
in reply to a request that Mr.. Beaven
hid other collectors and assessors OF
he territory in lighting the proposed
measure.
The letter from Mr. Lonez and the
reply of Mr. Beavcn. in which the lat
CONTINUED on Page 9. Column ~