The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-14
Four Constitutional Amendments
to Be Beaten This Fall.

four Constitutional Amendments
to BE Beaten This Fall.
Four proposed amendments to the
of the State will be sub
nitted to the voters of New York al
he election on November A.
In the order in which the question.
to them will appear on the
'fficial ballot they may be briefly de
icribed thus:
Number declares the use OF
property for the drainage Of swamp
and agricultural lands Is a public use.
and permits private property to be
condemned for such use: the COM
pensation to the owners of property
so condemned and the cost Of the
improvement may be assessed upon
property benefited thereby.
Number 2.-Empowers the Legis-
lature to enact a law under which
qualified voters of the State absent
from their residences on election day.
but within the United States, may
vote and have their ballots returned
and canvassed in the election dis
tricts in which their residences are
situated.
Number 3.-Increases the pay Of
members of the Legislature from
$500 each as follows: Senators TO
$4,000 each. with $40 a day addi-
tional for each day the Senate alone
is convened in extraordinary session.
or as a court for the trial Of i'm
peachments the Speaker of the AS
sembly to $4,000 a year; each As
semblyman to $4,000 a year; Assem-
blymen. not to exceed nine In num-
Der. appointed managers Of an inn
parchment, $40 a day each during
the continuance of the trial.
The travel allowance OF 81 a mile
for one round trip from their homes
to Albany now authorized by the con-
stitution would be discontinued by
this amendment.
Number fixes the compensa-
ton of the Judges of the Court OF
Appeals at not less than the highest
compensation allowed by law to any
other judicial officer of the State.
The Chief Judge OF the Court of APP
peals now receives salary Of $4,000
and the Associate Judges salaries of
$4,000. each Of them having In addi-
ton an allowance Of 5000 for ex-
penses. This makes the compensa-
ton Of the Chief -Judge $4,000 a
year and OF each Of the Associate
Judges s1s.700.
All of these amendments should b.
beaten.s
The drainage amendment provide
that "such compensation. togethe
with the cost of such drainage, ma
be assessed" against property benefitet
thereby. This leaves 1t wide opel
for the Legislature to make the cos
Of drainage works general Stat
charge, to be paid in large part b.
the taxpayers of this city. The con
gestion of population and scarcity o
arabic and pasture lands In the Stat
have not yet reached point at whicl
n Legislature commonly dominated b,
rural interests should be left free t
charge the cost of reclama ton scheme
against the urban population. II an,
of this nature is wort
in the present situation, /
should be paid for by the landowner
and directly benefited.
The number of voters unavoidabl!
absent from the State on election da,
Is comparatively infinitesimal. TIL
of them really anxious {,
vote is small. 1t is practically incon
that their vote would decid,
an election. To complicate further ou
unnecessarily intricate cleo
ton code would be foolish. There 4
a sentimental argument in favor O
this amendment, but every practica
Is against it. Until W,
can get men and women to go arounC
the corner to vote we need not wo",,
about the citizen absent from nj
home.
No logical argument can be advanced
in favor of paying Senators more thar
are paid. All member
Of the Legislature should receive tn,
same pay. The Speaker Of the Assem-
bly, is not entitled to a higher salar!
than the President pro TEN. of tn,
Senate, nor is he entitled to more pa,
than any other member of the Assem-
bly, or the Senate. He should get Al
much as a Senator and no more thai
another Assemblyman. All the mem
bers Of the Legislature should b
paid the same amount: an amour
sufficient to meet their expenses, bu
not large enough to make the salary
reason for seeking the Office.
There is great deal of loose ant
careless thinking about legislators
pay. Some innocent persons believ,
honest service can be bought from
by raising their salaries
and that decent men who successful,
seek public office subsequently becom,
because the pay of publi
officials is lower than that which tn,
of private anLernrisas VIII,