Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1913-03-10
SAYS AMOUNTS ARE LARGE
THINKS $4,000 SHOULD BE
ENOUGH FOR ANY LAWYERS
COMPENSATION.
WILL Be NO EXTRA SESSION
EXECUTIVE LET'S IT 81 KNOWN
HE WILL NOT RECALL THE
l.EGlsLATORT

Santa Fe, N. NJ, March 1O.-The
expected message from the governor
vetoing the district attorney salary
bill reached the house this afternoon
at o'clock. The governor holds that
the salaries fixed in the bill all are
too high. He believes that $4,000 a
year is sufficient for an district at
torney.
Following is the veto message:
To the honorable speaker and
members of the house Of representa-
tives:
Gentlemen: retu herewith,
without my approval, house bill 10.
124, an act relative to the salaries
of district attorneys.
The salaries of the district attor
neys Of the various juticial districts
are fixed in this bill as follows:
One county, s2,75O.
Three counties, $4,000 each
One county, 1920.
Three counties, $4,000 each.
The salary of the attorney general
OF the state is fixed in the constitu-
tion at $4,000, and he has to reside in
Santa Fe and devote his entire time
TO the duties of the offiie. The dis
trict judges receive salary of $4,500
year and are expected to devote
their entire time to the office and are
necessarily precluded from practice
in the court, as is also the attorney
general.
Besides the salary for district at
torneys their actual travelling ex-
penses are paid by the state. They
are in no way precluded from civil
practice in the courts, in TACT, being
district attorney is an advantage and
usually does advance a civil practice.
Now if the sums allowed the va
rious district attorneys are to be con-
sidered net it seems to me unques-
tionable that most of them are too
high. If it is expected that they
will hire assistants from thic sum to
help in the discharge of the duties OF
the office the bill should, in my opin-
ion, separate the salary of the district
attorney from that of his assistant
or assistants. believe that this is the
correct principle and that the tax
payers have a right to know whom
they are paying for the work done
in the district attorneys office.
II seems to me that $4,000 annual
ly, with travelling expenses, would be
ample compensation for any district
attorney with some provision for The
employment of an assistant.
Respectfully yours,
w. G. MCDONALD,
Governor
AS soon as the message had been
read to the house Mr.. Chavez moved
that the bill be again placed on its
passage, the objections Of the cover
nor to the contrary Notwithstanding.
The vote resulted 27 in the affirm
ative and 10 IN the negative The ma
jority being less than two-thirds the
bill failed to pass over the executive
disapproval
Mo Extra Session.
That there win be no extra ses-
sion of the legislature and no coun
ty salaries bill unless it be on the
lines Of the Mccoy or so-ca'Iled goy.
ernor's bill was the information Civ
en- out today by those close to Gov
ernor Mcdonald
A compromise bill carrying salaries
substantially lower than those Of the
finance committee bill recently We
toed by the executive was this morn
ing submitted to the governor by one
OF the democratic senators, who con.
sented 10 act as an emlasary for the
republican majority IN both houses,
There has been nothing doing hpw
ever Governor Mcdonald refusing