Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-02-12

The passage by the mouse, WllHoul
the emergency clause of the county
salaries bill yesterday and later of'the
district attorneys bill, with the emer-
gency clause attached, has caused
wide speculation as to what If any
thing at all, will become of the sal
ary question at this session.
The inequalities and possibilities in
these two measures and especially in
the county salaries bill are so glaring-
ly apparent, as to cause widest COM
ment among the tax payers.
These two measures were drawn
by subcommittee Of the senate and
house finance committees and 1t is
openly asserted that they are for the
larger part, the handiwork of the
county officials and of the other Off
cials interested because the commit
tee, in it's work, heard largely from
those interested in public Office hold
ing.
In the first place, the charge is op-
enly made, shat the county salaries
bill is drawn almost directly in ray,
or of the "big" county ofiicial-that
is of Office holders in first and sec
ond class counties.
The treasurer in Bernalillo county
for instance is. permitted a salary OF
$4,000 a year whereas it is an open
secret that deputy, at small part
of that sum, does all of the work and
that the treasurer spends but few
hours away from his own business
in looking after the affairs OF his Of
flee.
Then the sheriff gets $4,000. But
it should not be supposed that this
is all the sheriff gets. He gets a
straight out allowance for deputies
of $500. One deputy, as rule, runs
the sheriff's Office. 1t does not take
much of the sheriff's time to do what
work he is called upon to perform.
Neither could he, as rule, earn
$3,500 in two years at his usual en-
ployment in private life. Then there
is the feeding of prisoners. 1t is well
known that sheriffs in first class coun-
ties do not lose money at feeding
: prisoners but on the contrary 1t is re-
ported on very good authority that
year is added to the sheriffs income
anywhere from $4,000 to $4,000
from that source in the larger coun'
ties. Under the present salary bill,
the sheriff gets $500 then he gets
$500 for deputies.
Then he makes, let us say, $2500
year for feeding prisoners. That
gives him $500 a year. Say his to-
tai cost Of conducting his office with
his deputy and his horses is $25OO a
year which is allowing ample latitude,
and the sheriff has $4,000 year and
little or no work. Why should any
county official in any county in New
Mexico receive $4,000 year?
How many citizens Of the state by
working constantly, assuming all risk
and employing all the capital can
make $4,000 a year, clear money? 1t
is worth considering in connection
with county salaries.
Then the assessor is to receive
$4,000 a year. Now it is "a well known
fact that any assessor in any county
can assess that county in six months
After the first proper assessment, his
work is reduced about one half and
if he is at all capable, he can do the
work in even less time.
AS a rule, however, he employs a
deputy or two, to do the work 1t is
submitted as matter of fair minded
argument that $4,000 for six months
work per year, is rather good pay.
Is there any reason why New Mexi-
co should pay that sum just because
an assessor is county official?
In smaller, counties, the work is
even lighter while the salary for this
Office is proportionately high as in
counties of the first class
But by way of comparison axe the
sheriff's Office in counties of third
class where the pay is $4,000 var.
In those counties, the sheriff may
have twice the territory to cover, he
may need double the deputies. he
will probably have one-fourth as
many prisoners, yet he receives but
$4,000 year salary $1,000 year for
deputies and the same pay for feed !
ing prisoners. Feeding prisoners at
SO cents day where large number
of prisoners are in Jail, can be done at
profit; where there are only two or
three prisoners it must be done at