Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-03-15
SALARY RAISING BILLS.

SENtLtEt1 -
Aomng the great food of bills In
the legislature TO raise salaries. pills
M a state deit and increase expenses
generally, Is n measure to raise the
salaries of the supreme court justices
from s12,50O to $4,000 a year and tt
increase the salary OF the chief justice
and chancellor to SIC 900.
Bills of his kind generally stand {
good chance of being passed because
the many lawyers in the legislature
hesitate to go on record against sucf
measures affecting the Judiciary.
But the bill ought to be killed along
with ell the other taI-ralslns
measures. No doubt these judges can
earn q great Zeal more tina Sl2'ooo
a year In private practice. But II
they are At to be on the
bench at all they can also make
more than $4,000. They knew this
before they accepted appointment TO
the bench.
AS a matter Of fact considering the
work they do with their long vacations
and easy hours, 1t would seem as IL
they ought to be able to keep the
wolf from the door at $1,000 J. a month
Thev. too. when 1t is realized that
these salaries are exempt from IN
come tax we begin to realize what II
NIL means. AT the rate the taxes are
going UP and expenses increasing we
believe the taxpayers ought TO pe
considered before the judiciary. es-
pecislly when they are not suffering
under the salary they now receive.
Still other bills have beer ~introduc-
cd to raise the salaries of the mem
hers of the Boards of Freeholders ana
TO give a salary to the OF
4he state boxing commission. 1t Is
pretty generally believed that the free
holders are already adequately palo
considering the amount OF time they
mt in on county affairs. Wheh the
smaller board was adopted, with q
fixed salary instead OF paying by the
dav In accordance with the NUMBER OF
DAVIS the freeholders devoted to public
Affairs II was the understanding that
tbe ~freeholders would devote their
entire time to their duties as pupllc
officials. This is far from being the
case. Every freeholder has his pri-
waite interests TO look after and always
has had. Should the salaries be rals-
I'D he would still continue his private
business.
AS a matter of fact, 1t Is doubtful
tf the county gets as much OF the
averap ~freeholder's time under the
present salary system as 1t did when
the f%reeholders were paid by the day
At n time when the taxpayers are
loaded down almost beyond endurance
n is poor policy to go on piling vi
expense In the manner proposed.
When the state boxing commisslo
was created it was distinctly pointed
mt that no salary would be attache'
to the position, yet there were no en-
OF applicants desiring appointment o.
tho board. But NJ sooner had tn
appointments been made than TN
successful ones commenced agitation
for salaries. The commission has bee
IN disrepute before the public iron
the beginning. This Is no time. wit
state xpenses piling up, to start pay
Ing salaries to the members of thi
board.
In all these matters let the legisla
ture consider first the taxpayers whor
they are supposed to represent. The
are the ones who ave to pay tn
freight. II the taxpayers are given an
consideration at all nine-tenths OF tn
salary-raising, debt-increasing bill
now before the legislature viii b
killed.