Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-27
GOVERNOR FINDS
MANY REASONS To
VETO SALARY ACT
Sharp Criticisms of Many Sec
tons Voiced in Message
Conveying Executive DiSap-
pfovaI to Legislators.
n'ee'.l o,sr.rea 70 -oas,se ,ouas.u

or the salary measure sets forth in
some detail criticisms by the COVER
nor of the bill's provisions. II is as
follows: 4,
Santa Re. y. NJ, February &c, 1915.
To the House OF Representatives
Second State LEGISLATURE Santa Fe,
New Mexico:
Gentlemen. | return to you with
out my approval. Amended House
Bin No. 1923. entitled An Act Relat-
ing % County Officers. with my OBJ
Jections to the same.
Il regret exceedingly the necessity
That impels me to take this action,
but TO sign this bill would. / feel, vio-
late the trust which | hold for the
people of New Mexico. TO permit II
to become a law without my approval
would imply a lack of courage to
meet the emergency. thus stultifying
myself, at least in my own conscious
ness, If not in the eyes OF the people.
In the classification of counties. two
counties of the first class have about
$4,000. 000 worth of property each
while one other has less than $751;
100000. Between first and second
class counties there is q difference In
valuation Of S5,750.000 between sec
ond and third class counties differ
ence of $l,750,000 and between third
and fourth class counties S1.750,000.
The difference in salaries. including
deputies, between first and second
class counties is about 20 per cent;
between second and third class coun-
ties SO l-S to so per cent. and be-
tween third and fourth class counties
an average Of about S5 per cent.
\ .l...a .
in second and fourth class counties Is
$3,500,000 The salaries for second
class counties are on an average over
so per cent higher than in fourth
class counties. The salaries In the
higher class Of counties are not only
too high in themselves, but much
higher for the services to be per-
formed than In the lower class of
counties.
THE work In any county treasur-
er's office in the state can be done
for 1000 or less. Should the treasur-
err have $4,000 for supervision that
in some cases at least, does not super
wise? The assessor is not necessarily
actually employed much more than
six months in the year. Two good men
who know how TO do the work. can
do il in six or seven months.
"No county clerk earns more than
81, 500 and deputy hire can be pro-
vided according "a the fees earned I'm
the office, so that the allowance for
deputies may increase as the fees in
crease. The provision for clerk hire
is not just to some of the counties
and is noticeably unfair when
method is adaptable that may be
just alike to all.
mo provision is made for travelling
expenses for superintendents of
schools. | consider this is as necessary
as for sheriffs. The better the work
done in our schools the less need
there will be for officers to prevent
violations of the law. The county sur
veyors would probably have to shift
for themselves without pay.
I'm one county the pay for an Of
fetal is fixed apparently according to
someone's idea of the work to be
done, since he is provided with only
$3.50.
"The average for ministers OF the
gospel throughout the United States,
| understand to be about 1868 per
annum. The average for school teach
ers in the state of New Mexico is
$43S.O1; the average for city super
intendents of schools is, believe,
something less than $4,000.
"The compensation provided for
the county clerk for work done in the
district court is, in my opinion, ex-
cessiye in third class counties.
The provision in Section 3 for re-
payment of moneys already received
by county officers in excess of what
is provided under this bill, is objec-
tionable and open TO criticism of the
taxpayers, though ii might be salts
factory to the officials who had to
make repayments. ] do not quite UNI
derstand the full meaning of this sec
ton, nor do / think the average coun-
ty commissioner, nor possibly the
district attorney, would be able to in
terpret It.
The burden of taxation apparently
weighs heavily upon our people and
is bitterly complained of by the tax
PAYERS. When the constitution of the
state was under consideration before
| It's adoption, it was claimed that plae-
| ing county officers on n salary basis
would make reduction of expenses
! from the old fee system ! believe II
is even now claimed that this bill
will cause O reduction from what the
1 fees formerly were Of something ike
/ 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
so that compensation was limited tc
specific sums Under this bill In sec
ton 10, II is provided that from al
taxes and licenses Of whatever char
acter that may be collected, pei
centum shall be deducted and COW
cred into the salary fund This is II
addition to all fees collected by the
various officials, and those fees alsc
60 into the salary fund.
"Thls being the substance OF the oil
1 am at a loss to know how anyone i
| 10 reach the conclusion that we sinai
save so per cent to the taxpayers OF
the state by such legislation.
I'm section 10 1t is provided ina
from and after the first day of Janu'
ary. 1917, the classification OF coun'
ties shall be fixed and governed nN
the assessed valuations as finally
fixed for the preceding calendar
| year Under this, should the basis
i'of valuation be fixed as | understand
lit is contemplated by the legislature
lat the full cash value, to be deter
mined by a tax commission OF othe'
i ---------~---------------