New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1915-06-12
THE SACRIFICE OF THE
ASSESSORS,

tween Governor Hall and mem
hers of the house appropriations
and senate finance committees
Wednesday, an agreement was
reached to amend the general ap-
nropriation bill so that money
for the state institutions takes
precedence over state officials.
This was accomplished by writ
ING into the bill a new order for
the payment of warrants against
the general fund.
The salaries for state officials
will be put last on the list of items
against which warrants shall be
cashed. The assessors will be the
hardest hit under the arrange
ment.
Governor Hall told the com
mittee that, in view Of the 1885,
900 excess appropriation carried
in the bill, some arrangements
for the protection Of the institu-
tional wards of the state became
nee essary.-News Item in The
Shreveport Times Of 3rd.
To the average reader the
above news item will convey
very little and certainly not ere
ate a feeling Of outrage and re-
sentiment in him. but when he
knows the full history Of GER
tain piece of highhandedness on
the part of the Governor, we will
not be surprised to find him fig
uratively pulling his hair and
making the air blue.
It will be remembered that the
Governor vetoed certain items in
the appropriation bill at the reg
ular session last year, necessitat-
ing the call of this special session
to make necessary provision for
the State. Practically all the
eleemosynary institutions in the
State came under the pairing
knife of the Governor and were
cut out of the appropriation bill;
and, along with them the coun-
try assessors. This does not
seem very strange just yet why
the country assessors and no
other officers of the State should
have been left out Of the money
bill without pay for 1915. but it
comes out now as the beginning of
a very fine scheme.
It will be noticed in the news
item that at an executive con-
ference between the Governor
and the house appropriation and
senate finance committees it was
decided to amend the general APP
preparation bill Of this special
which is taking care Of
those left out in the general APP
bill Of the regular
session Of 1914. so that money for
The state institutions takes pre-
,edence over state officials. There
IRE no state officers to take pre-
'edence over except the country
all the others were TAX
N care of in the appropriation
ill of 1914.
The Governor fixes it so that
he assessors can not get pay for
heir services until after every
'Ody else entitled to state money
las gotten his. This is to force
he assessors in the country to
aise the assessment in the cOun-
~ parishes to an amount suffi- ,
lent to make up deficit of -,
366.OOO.OO, which the present APP
bill carries. Governor .
lall is trying to force the coun- t
ry assessors, by making them S
'ait until everybody else is served {
ut OF the state treasury, raise I
be assessment sufficient to pro-
ide revenues to take care of an
xtravagant, broken-down and
administration.
AT the last session the Govern
r sought to have a bill passed
y the Legislature requiring the S
SCISSORS to list all property at
all avlue and make any assessor
Tho failed to do SO subject to re- o .
loval from office. The assessors :.
ought this bill and it was killed. :,
'ow the Governor goes after them p,
'om another angle to make them Of
0 his bidding by putting up to :
lem the question, assess suffi- q
emit to pay the debts Of my ad- fl
or starve. durn you. tn
The Richland Beacon-News. u
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