New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-10-20
THOUSANDS BESIDES HIS
SALARY AS SECRETARY OF
STATE WENT TO HIS REL
ATlVES
E. C. De BACA
ALSO GETS SLICE
MARTINEZ PRINTING COM
PANY IN WHICH DE BACA
AND LUCERO ARE INTER
ESTED GET A RAKE OF I'M
WAY OF PRINTING

Honorable Antonio Lucero and his
family have tapped the state paw
roll for more than 2l.13975 since
Lucero took office in January 1912.
Pretty good pickinqs for an official
drawing but $1,000 a year salary.
eh what?
Lucero and his son and daughters,
and doubtless his sisters and his
aunts, would like few years more
of state money. This Democrat has
made a sort Of family exchequer
out of the revenues of his office.
Lucero is candidate on the Demo-
cratic ticket to succeed himself, be-
/ Donald-de Baca Democratic machine.
His denomination was heartily Sec
onded by doting relatives.
The records show times when five
members of Lucero's immediate FAM
secretary of states office. some evea
sides that Lucero has bestowed ad-
ditional state money upon himself by
awarding departmental printing jobs
10 tHe Mdrt tilcZ upIisiliiS IoihPaHy
of Las Vegas, of which he is part
owner with f. c. de Baca.
And in the face of this raw rec-
ord. Lucero has the crust to ask the
people of New Mexico to re-elcct
him. Such rind is explained BY
the palpablc piggishness of the man
as shown by stewardship of the
office of secretary of state.
Lucero started right out when he
became Secretary of State with the
thrifty notion OF keeping as much
revenue Of his office as possible in
the family, What was the use Of
administering public funds it his
children could not share with him
the use of it?
How we'll Lucero succeeded in car
ryine out this policy OF get all you
can when you have the chance" may
be Judged from the fact that an
official audit Of his office made at
the close of the second fiscal year
of the state showed that the LII
ccro family had annexed Sl3,389Io
in salaries and wages.
There was in addition, papa's share
Of the S2.2l6 paid in that time to
La Voz del Pueblo and the Marti-
ncz Publishing company OF Las We
gas, in which Joint enterprise ln-
ccro. as has been stated, is part
owner.
This bit OF business also served
the purpose of shying a little ad-
ditional state money into the lap
of Liutenant Governor +. c. de Ba-
ca, the present DemocraticMcDon-
aid candidate for governor. De IA
ca, it will be borne i'll mind, is one
of the owners of the Las VEGAS
publishing business, too.
Nearly two fiscal years have el-
apsed since the official audit showed
the Lucero family's salary grab Of
$135S975 All the little intimate de-
tails Of Secretary OF State Antouio
Iuccro's administration of the auto
mobile license tax fund and the Of
flee fee collections since that tine
are not available, Moreover, ci.'z-
ems wori feel n certain hesitarcy
about inluring for them. L world
.rcm too wuch ike prying into IT.
cero's family affairs.
However, II the official audit mi de
by the Travelling Auditors depart
neUt showing the emoiuments Of
he Iurcro family IN to that time
may be used as a basis for calcu a
ton, il would seem fair 10 assume
that tie lrccros should be VII
no toward The S25.o00 mark by now.
It would appear highly improbable
Il at an official showing such q 2cal
fer his family as Mr.. Lucer0 would
Suddenly turn niggard'y after so
splendid 4 start
Be tha- as it may. there are rec
ords to show that up to the first
nine months Of 1910, the house Of
Luccro has received in salaries or
wages little over S2l.l3975 rom
the state-a total that is not - be
sncczcd at. The profits of the nrint-
ing Jobs given to the Martini shop
in Las Vegas would bring it tip over
$4,000.
Chief aides of the democrats Sec
retary Of States ambition to keep
as much public money as possible
in the family have been his son,
Antonio Lucero. Jr., and his three
daughters. Miss Aurora Lucero, Miss
Della Iucero and Miss Julia Lucero.
Assisting them have been another
daughter, Miss F. Lucero, and a
niece. Mrs. J. Valerie.
IT II were not such GlarinC IN
stance of salaT.- hbing- sort Of
polite sand baCeing of the state
treasury-ior the purpose = curich-
ing himself in public office. one
could not but admire Lucero for the
way he has made his S3,OO0-a-year
position productive.
No one but finished salary
grabber. of which the Democratic
party in this state is so prolific,
could manage to have a son and
three daughters holding down one
and even two Jobs at the same time.