The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-02-17

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was tha moat reasonable salary hnl
80 BE- expected from ma nppusllcan
m4i1frr we've faht 70 the extend
tliai the bin ia which Nhe honse r.
iesed % contuf Is me most modes-
ate hi which has had my chance
Tor passage. IL VIVA expected that
the haaft uould refuse 10 concur IL
lhe amendments which reduced
somewhat ne exogblsant salaries
proposed for The nrst class counties
and raised somewhat The unreason-
ably low ~aaiariet which the house
had Fixed Tor seme Of lhe lower class
countlss IN order 70 anpeasc al MEM
asfs - ~ uurnlf two-thlrds major
~
xet she bns % amended BY the
senate IL a wholly unreasonable sal
ary Ain. u fixes Tor coanties like
cur own salaries which "a people
arr utterly unable 70 pay. Were
New Mexico an established commu-
nlsy. with a fixed rate OF production
end an assured lncomc from varied
industries: were rs people a wealthy
people. q lending people; a people Of
capital the payment Of fancy salar-
ies 70 the men who run he county
business might be ~iusslnabie. II II
we're niifl FOLLY 10 pay more fur serv-
ice than IL h worth. u would at least
BE- foHy which We could afford.
Enf W. are not a settled eommu-
nifty. Our industries whIie varied
ARE not well established and their
PROHIBITION h far from certain. We
nre a borrowing community; our
tnxss even shonid a Wise tax system
~ ektahliahoa At SANTA Re, sim
would remain high. FOR W mt.st pay
Tor the operation OF O fun srorn
aiate government when the Develop
meni Of ous state IN eyery way " but
beEnr. We cannot aford 10 be cx-
travagnnt either la our personal lives
or il our public affairs, and an Ut
terly needless e~xtmvagnnee In q
public business, when deliberately
forced upon ~, becomes nothing less
than a crime. BY force Of circnm-
stances the great majority o. u
people are a frugal people; o people
81 extremely simple lives. Yet we
are forced By the arbitrary demnnds
% county officers backed up BY po-
iiticni leaders VINO use those county
ofncers in their political operations,
90 pay for opr public service ana in
the administration Of our simple
hoine affairs salaries which are nb-
furdlY beyond our means.
when we compare the salaries
which q now saens clear we are 10
ae fnreed 20 pay our county officers
10 this county with the salaries peld
county ofncers in tho old. rich states
Of the east, the thing becomes gro
tesquc. The highest salary paid "a
amy county treasurer ln the state of
Maine u 1890 a year This is in
run. ~%inclndine cierk hire" In only
three Of the counties of Mniae ~ h
salary Of the sheriff more than 32bou
and in ihose Il Is $4,000. In Penn
syivnnia counties having less han
10000 population pay n0, TO exceed
$500 TO their county officers, VINO are
salaries. while the sheriff IN the
populous OF all the counties In
that state gets but $1,000 a ear Ia
M-aHsashuseits the average salary 10
county IL 1850. In ms
nois the average II less than $4,000
20 an county officers. There are only
one or two counties In Illinois with
population than the most popu-
ius county in New Mexico. Almost
down the whole list Of states this
same Ridiculous disparity IL shown;
the rich. developed. well organized.
p~opuious states whore tax returns
and tax receipts are MANY paying
half and leas what we are 20 be
forced BY our Rcpuhiican Legislature
10 pay IN the thinIy settled. struggling
counties 81 New Mexico.
Thefe - no excuse for this burden
the Republican purity manager are
aisom 10 force upon ma u. o. Bur-
sum. one 81 the most powerful Of
Republican leaders. has said that
uouniy salaries should be fixed by the
counties. he knows that II our pco-
pc here In Bernalilio county had the
Of salaries, Sheriff Jesus Ro-
nero. for Instance. could not com
anstnine like the miHilaum sni-
~ ihe ReDpbiicans have proposed.
r Ely. the Republican state
.ksifman. has pointed a straight
10 his party associates IN The