The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-02-20


Nr moro woek ~ the ierisip-
live session has slipped b.
and sts al powerful Repub-
iIcan majority. m the onward march
of ~ ~nesfensivs pforsam Or con-
asrucslvs ~lrrlsiailsn again has failed
10 pfesure = county salary Jaw, y
any ether lcslsiation or agreement
upah laasaiaiion rnnn the large qpef-
uons entrusted 20 IT, ana for which
tho people sxpected q speedy and
stasesmaailkc settlement. ~ IL o nj
slc more plain Than u has ever beon
shst II the maiofiss Is aDic 70 oErce
upon . salary hin Of any kind, 4 VIII
BE- a salary bnl far above what the
peonlt ~ any % The counties can af-
fora 70 pay: especially the first class
countlcas Ani that The state durlns
me seven years Of operation Of such
4 Bis Win BE- charged up via m ox-
peuse 81 almost a million dollars o.
unnecessary expense IN the form q
public money given % county ofaeefs
who 40 no, earn Il.
There are many nepuhiicans who
wish that the majority headers in the
iorisIaturc had accepted tbs offer 81
h Two Demecraslc senators, Hinkle
and walton. for a bipartisan com
mistee upon SALARIES, and it sim y
poassble THAI the suesestien made BY
Inc two Democrats will DC the only
wa, 10 a settlement Of any kind.
AZ santa Re d Il being said now by
the majority ieadern and their natei-
lltes that only three hllia are neces-
sarr from this legislature; a salary
bin. = snxasion and Fevenue measure
and an appropriation hiil They
overlook. apparently. the need for a
fnir and decent election law. a fair
and decent hbel statute. and about
an even dozen Of other vitality Inn
portant needs of progressive icgisla-
tlon which lave been enumerated 20
oFten That repetiiion Is unnecessary.
legislation We md ~ TIE BIN intro
aaced in the senate by senators HART
and Romero yesterday justification
Tor the Herald's repeated prediction
that the final enort ~ the minority
managers would ne for an absolute
nnt and unqualified return TO the old
territorial board or equalization sys-
TEN under which tho big tax dodgers
dodeed with the utmost impuniy and
under which The mall taxpayer with
the readily accessible property was
stuck for the greater part Of the load
The Hartt-Romero bill, with is pro
vision for seven tax commissioners
varies from h old territorial equal
lzation hoard only In the lille Of th'
proposed law. The powers. duties
limitations. ctcs. are exactly o. IN tn
rood old days when tax lodging wa
practiccd IN this state without tn
slightest interference from the stat
government.
This bill. should 81 be passei. a
now seems entirely possible. wouli
lend ~ completely around the cirel'
vita The training Of the constitution
making h state board % equaliza
ton into a somewhat efficient body
lss adjustment hy constitutions
amendment when the influential "a
dodgers found that they could NJ
control that board. and 20 the re
enactment of the old territorial SIS
TEN.
As for the appropriation bill th
third measure which the l~cgislatig
bosses declare necessary. how II
going 10 be possible. as the chairma
~ the senate finance committee ha
pointed out, 90 provide $3.50, 600 q
necessary additional revenue for IN
various state institutions and stat
purposes. unless We have n taxato
and revenue system which will equal
lie tho burden. brine the tax dodger
into the circle Of persons who pa
taxes and place the state upon
sound revenue baFis2
In the iignt Of the events Of oF
more week OF Il We are beginning
wonder just whore the Repubiici
party's "aEsressive program 81 con
structivo legislation b. going 70 lea
us.
The evidence thus far would ind
cate that IL viii presently lead us int
the ditch.