The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-03-04

weighs heavily upon our people anc
is bitterly complained Of by the tax
payers. When the constitution OF
the state was under consideration
before its adoption, II was claimed
that placing county officers on sal.
ary basis would make reduction OF
expenses from the old fee system.
| believe it Is even now claimed that
this bill will cause reduction from
what the fees formerly were of
something like so per cent.
Now consider for a moment that
the only two officers who were paid
directly by the fees earned in the Of
flee were sheriffs and clerks. Each
of the assessors and treasurers was
permitted to withhold four per cent
of all tax collections as compensation,
50 that compensation was limited to
specific sums. Under this bill, in
section l3, 1t is provided that from
all taxes and licenses of whatever
character that may be collected, 8
per centum shall be deducted and
covered into the salary fund This
I is in addition to all fees collected by
the various officials, and those fees
also go into the salary fund
This being the substance of the
bill am at a loss to know how any
one is to reach the conclusion that
we shall save 80 per cent to the tax
payers of the state by such legisla-
ton.
In section 10 it is provided that
from and after the first day of Jan
uary, 1915, the classification Of coun-
ties shall be fixed and governed by
the assessed valuations as finally
fixed for the preceding calendar
year. Under this, should the basis
of valuation be fixed as understand
it is contemplated by the legislature,
at the full cash value, to be deter
mined by tax commission, or other
authority with power to fix these
values as they ought to be fixed,
many Of the counties now in other
classes would be in the first class in
1917 to remain there for four years
with salaries provided for in this
bill for officers in the first class
counties.
This is in many respects about
the same as the former salary bills.
The salary bill provided at the first
session of the first state Legislature
was wrong; those presented since
were wrong. and this one is wrong.
II is not fair and just to the tax
payers of New Mexico. They are
entitled to an equal show with the
officials. This bill is not fair and
just and should not become law.
MY opinion is that the salary of
no official should be over $2,75O net
to him and that the minimum should
be 81 400. | believe that travelling
expenses should be provided for
every official whenever in the dis
charge of his duties he is required to
leave the county seat.
1t seems to me that not much
difficulty should be encountered in
framing salary bill if it Is taken up
in business way without regard to
those affected. First, the salaries of |
the officials themselves can be con-
sidered as fixed definitely from the |
top to the bottom. The work for
the official himself is not much diff
ferent in most of the counties. Af-
ter the salaries have been fixed def
nitely sufficient allowance should be |
made for the deputies in the various
counties to cover all the necessities
of the Office, and be made according
to the probabilities of what would
be required in the offices of each
class of counties.
II shall not at this time attempt
to discuss motives and purposes.
The facts, as embodied in this bill,
are quite sufficient for present con-
sideration, so | willingly and conf
IDENTIFY leave the conclusions to be
drawn in accordance with the view
point and interest of those chiefly
concerned.
Respectfully yours,
civilian G. McDopald