The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-01-13
Governor Issues Call
For Special Session
January 10th
Ccontlnued from Page ID

impossible to harm0nize in the con-
siructdOn and application Of these laws,
and after two years experience in
state government, there is no uniform
practice arrived at and no certainty as
TO the real meaning Of the laws govern
Ing official fees and Compensation. And
this controversy can only be brought
e an end by Legislative action, making
definite and certain what public Off
GERS may justly receive for their serv-
ice.
4 believe that the law should be SO
amended that every county officer
would have his compensation fixed at
a fair living salary and that all offices
that receive fees from the public for
services rendered should be required
10 carefully collect and deposit such
fees in the county treasury and that in
every class OF public service the legis-
lature should carefully amend the law
so as to limit the payment of salaries
only to officers actually required for
the public good and at rates OF com
pensation such as the same class of
efficient service would receive in pri-
yate business or occupation.
The question may be asked why
this subject could not be deferred for
the consideration of the regular ses-
sion Of the legislature one year hence.
in answering this, / desire to say that
am advised by able legal authority
that under our state constitution the
salary of an officer cannot be decreas-
ed or diminished during the term to
pTdch be has been elected If the law
is not amended before the general
election next November, it could not
be made operative for three years and
therefore, If the people Of Oklahoma
are to have the benefit that will ac'
crue 10 them from reasonable amend
ment of the present fees and salary
law, il must be done prior to the next
election. 1t will easily be ascertained
that many times the cost of a short
session of the Legislature at this time
can be saved without doing injustice to
those who serve the public in official
capacity. If the Legislature shall make
such amendment at this time, those
elected to office next November win
be svtject to the provisions thereof.
Strictly honest officers, whose duty
1t is to fix the tax limit from year
to year within their jurisdiction. are at
times over-impressed with the neoes-
sity for speedy and extensive public
Improvements the laudable ambition
to make Oklahoma attractive to the !
world at times be believe. warps the
judgment of honest men, and leads
them to forget that when Oklahoma
may have equaled or excelled other
states in the estimate of strangers, 1t |
is far more likely to be when we are
able to say that Oklahoma has more
homes of comfort, more homes OF
plenty, than when in the absence OF
such homes, we could only say that
Oklahoma has more fine public build !
ings than other states
Il emphatically believe that the first
should be nome com
forts, and realizing that the dollars for
tax payment come largely from the
same source from which the dollars
must come to house and maintain the
family therefore protest against any
taxation in excess of the actual neces-
sity Of the district, township, city,
county or state for the necessities
thereof, administered with rigid econ
omy and that public convenience re-
luires privilege Of half yearly pay
ments
In making the constitution Of Okla
loma, knowing that most new states
4 the last forty years had gone bank
upt ny IcChtcoS ldAdliOlg JhC tCANtif-i
Ion departed from the usual custom
n writing state constitutions, and in
serted maximum tax limits beyond
which the taxing authorities OF the
tate and its subdivisions could not
egally 60, but 1t was not contem-
lated that the tax Ievies would reach
he maximums except in rare cases OF
But after two years find
he disposition to levy the limit in
many cases.
Il therefore urge that the legislature
hould reduce to lower maximum lin-
is, SO far as a power Of the taxing
Ioards may be exercised without
ote Of the people of the district az
ected by any levy, ami | earnestly
to the legislature that ev-
ry maximum limitation be substan-
tally reduced. that necessities only
nav be provided for, and / further rec
mmend that the voting Of bonded I'M
ebtedness upon the district, county
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