Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1912-03-08

willing to protect the heirs. In the hands
of the county court rests the fortunes of
orphans. the custody. control and dlspo-
position of the person and property of
those bereft of reason, Sooner or later
the title to every piece of realty, subject
to private ownership. is affected by the
judgments of this court.
1t would naturally be thought. that
such court. SO intimately and vitality
concerned and occupied with the welfare
of all the people of the county, would be
the especial object Of the care and at
tention Of boards of County commission
ers everywhere, and would be- furnished
with all the appliances and assistance
necessary for the good conduct of the
office.
There are few. very few. boards of
county commissioners in this state who
exhibit this attitude.
Those who have stated that there was
not warrant of law for the employment
by the board, of clerical assistance in this
office, have either talked without know
lege of the law or with intent to misstate
the law and mislead the people, as you
well know.
The same duty rests upon you, there
fore, to provide as fully for the clerical
work of this office as for the other offices
of the county.
OF the matter following, would not
enaaL 10 the onlv fbirr ;nvaIvad ,.,, @ tho
little financial loss to myself. but your
action therein has been given publicity
with the view of convincing the people of
this county that | have asked you to
make an increase of salary in my Office
unwarranted by its necessities. When
asked you to raise the salary OF the
stenographer in this office from SIS to
$50 per month. did it as a simple mat
ter of justice to competent clerk whose
services was DESTROYS OF retaining. The
clerk in my office does the same class Of
work as the chief clerks in the other
county offices who are paid SIPS per
month. For the same class of work, but
less than half as much you pay $4,000
per month in the District Clerks office. |
am unable to understand why two per-
sons who do the same class of work
equally well, ought not to get the same
salary, simply because one is woman.
We're you paying $50 per month you
would be getting the work done for S55
per month less than you ought to pay by
the criterion which you yourselves have
established.
may add that this is the only office in
the county. so far as | am informed. in
which the business has increased the
past year and in which there is not ad-
equate clerical assistance.
The result 81 your action is that am
compelled each month to write my check
for ten dollars in order to keep compe-
tent help in my Office.
In a neighboring county having twice
the population of Otero county, in the
same class of tees, but in which the earn
ngs Of the county court last year were
$40 less than the earnings shown by
this report. the county commissioners dc
not think it unreasonable to allow two
clerks, one at $ 100 and the other at $40
per month.
When | ran for this Office | promised
the people. and the bar. that would de-
vote my whole time to the office and
would not practice in the higher courts,
which the law would permit me to do,
and to which ! am frequently solicited.
have and will keep that promise. II
would seem therefore that | am to be
fined ten dollars a month for living up to
my contract with the people. and for not
entering into some outside business.
have handed this report to the press
so that the people, to whom we are alike
responsible. may know the facts, both
concerning the business of the county
court and the slight difference that has
arisen between US.
Respectfully submitted.
| r w McnANIEI