The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-11-23
WOULD INCREASE THE PAY
or ALL STATE OFFICIALS
Hill to be introduced by John j. Nc
Mahan-RCasOns Advanced for
Change.
News and Courier.

Columbia, Nov. 13-Mr. John J. Nc
.Iaha1, OF Columbia, VIII introduce
al the coming session of the Legisla-
ture bill to provide salaries for
Governor and other State officers
and Judges.
The scale proposed is: Governor,
Sc CO; Lieutenant Governor, $1,000;
Secretary of State, Comptroller Gen
eraI, Attorney General, Treasurer, Ad-
jutant and inspector General, State
Superintendent Of Education, and
members OF the railroad commission
each $4,000; justices Of tae Supreme
Court and Judges Of tAe Circuit Courts,
each $1,000.
The new salaries would become ef-
fective at the beginning Of new terms.
Speaking of the reasones for making
the salaries higher, Mr. McMahan
said:
The salaries of officers of this State
are ridiculously low. The explanation
tlal they represent a scale Of COM
pensation based en- the poyerty-strick-
en- condition of our people after the
war and in the eighties and nineties.
"The tremendous advance in indus
triaI 1eveloDme2r and the consequent
higher standard of living, and the
greater cost Of living, have rot been
taken into account in the fixing OF
the salaries paid by the State to her
chief oficers-no change in the
amounts having been made since
period of peculiarly depressed prices.
Nothing but the traditional honor
II public service, and the patriotic
ambition of our people, has made pos,
sib!e the continuation CT high class
men in office under conditions Of low
salaries, becoming increasingly dis
and insignificant as
times change.
The expense OF a campaign Tor
nomination under the primary system,
instituted since the present salaries
we're fixed, to say nothing Of the in
terference of ofhce-nolding with pre-
vious private business sosas virtually
to sidetrack an ex-oficial from Resum-
ing lucrative employment, makes the
holding of high Office in this State in
fact a financial sacrifice for most men
competent to measure up to the stan
dard which should be required.
'tMost important is the considera-
tion-in this age of deeper apprecia-
,tion of widening democratic in
luences-that too low scale of sala-
ries is a handicap put upon poor men,
who should be encouraged to aspire to
public service and distinction, upon
their merits, equally with the rich. II
would be a sad day for South Caro-
Ina if the Offices should come to be
luxurious for the moneyed men, be-
yond the attainment of the great mid
die class.
There should be no question that
the Governor-representing the sover-
eign State, transferred for brief
period from his private home to the
Executive Mansion in Columbia and
expected to hold up the States dignity
in his mode of living, including gen.
erous hospitalities-snould receive a
salary greater than the $4,000 now
paid. The presidents of colleges, pub
tic and private, and some of our State
officers provided for by recent legls-
lation, receive more, or as much.
The Justices and Judges, by their
characters and abilities, largely de-
termine the standards of law-enforce
ment and of equitable relief prevailing
in our State, and therefore our COM
parative civilization in the final Court
of world public opinion.
"a Circuit Judge spends more than
$500 in travelling expenses each year;
a supreme court justice must live in
Columbia several months in The year.
Each surrenders private practice Of
ten quite lucrative, which he could
hardly regain if he retired from the
Bench. The present salary of 81, 600
netting the Circuit Judge less than
50 500-is disgraceful.
"The Secretary of State has many
important duties, including the issuing
and recording of charters of corpora
tons. The fees collected by his Office
have ageraged over $4,000 a year. If
h u-oro o;5 bv tho foe system uSual-