The Penn's Grove record., 1921-06-10
New Jersey Farmers, Facing Sc
riouS Losses, Put Force Into
Demand for Cuts.
STATE PAYROLLS TO SHRINK
Civil Service Order First Step, but It
May Not Be contagious-State Sal
airy Ruling Will Not CurtaiI In
creasss to Be Granted July l.

ing and insistent demand for early
and effective pruning Of the tax bill Il
New Jersey the Civil Service Commits.
sion has taken the first step for redue.
ing the high cost of government. II
may not be contagious, however. The
commission has power to regulate and
control only such employees as come
under its jurisdiction and he list is
somewhat limited, but President
Prince expresses the belief that a large
annual saving may be accomplished
In this direction. During the war the
state granted a liberal bonus to the
Tong list of employees under Civil
Service control. dating back to the
period when the high cost of living
nit them a savage blow, but the salary
list has not materially shrunken since
then.
1t is presumed, of course, that the
action of the commission will not be
popular with all the departments Of
the state government where there Is
ample opportunity to apply the knife
Salaries once up are hard to bring
down, and positions once created are
seldom abolished. Six years ago the
program under the economy and
efficiency laws began to produce some
results in this respect, but slowly since
lhat time there have appeared many
Jobs where few tlourished before, till
The state payroll has grown to prodi-
giOus proportions, with salary jumps
for the judiciary and heads of depart
ments. while scores Of earnest, indus
trious and faithful s%ervitors have
plugged along upon the same old emoI-
ument.
1t is probable, therefore, that the
senate will give serious thought to
measures calculated to reach the cost
Of government with the idea of going
directly at the problem when the iegis-
.ature of 1922 meets. 1t is too late to
10 anything this year, Of course, but
he Republican managers, now in con-
troI of the two houses realize that
hey are face to face with the strongest
demand the people Of New Jersey have
ever expressed, and that action direct
and effective will alone satisfy that de-
mand.
The farmers of the state who have
paid their share of the tax burden
with little or no protest have come
%squarely to the point where satistac-
tory solution of the problem will be
imperative. They gained little margin
upon their products last year because
Of the high cost of labor, of machinery,
Of freights and of materials, n they
face an even harder season because Of
the weather se+backs. Growers who
every reason to expect heavy
Yields of fruit and other products, with
some chance of recouping last years
losses, look out upon wide stretches Of
orchard entirely bare Of fruit, a com
plete and demoraliZing loss. Turning
from these dismal pictures, they pick
I'D their tax bills and find that even in
the rural sections, where expenses Of
government are at the minimum, they
are obliged to meet the heavy burden
laid by the expense of education, the
care of the INDECENT, the criminal and
the helpless. These expenses have
shown no evidence of diminishing, but
appear to grow with the years, and
the program of extension and eXpan-
sion gives promise of even greater
burden.
1t has been demonstrated many
times in New Jersey that the influence
of the rural vote has swayed many of
the most important moves in state and
county affairs. 1t has been sufficient
at times TO determine the fate of far
reaching legislation. 1t prevented the
of the daylight saving sys-
TEN il was foremost in the adoption
of the state police system; it was a
force to be reckOned with in the pas
of the dry enforcement law and
the repeal of the 800 beer bill' last
winter.
The same powerful influence has
been in evidence all through the SEES
of many years, and now that it
has begun the move for curtailment Of
the tax burden it will have a large and
commanding voice in the adjustment.
The party managers will Don begin
the layout of the program for the fall
campaign, when members Of the legis-
are to be picked. 1t is probable
that women will again seek seats in
the assembly, perhaps more than were
in the running last year, the first
they had to figure in the cleo
lions. 1t is more thar likely that fem
mime representatives will take a lead
ing part In any move calculated to re-
duce taxes, and in this respect they
will have the support of citizens gen
orally. With the leaders on both sides
fully alive to the situation, then, there
will be little doubt Of prompt action
along these lines.
No one has come forth as yet with a
workable suggestion for the course OF
legislation, but it will undoubtedly be
worked out in the coming months, anC
the candidates who present the mos
probable and attractive plans will rail-!
the voters to their support. No one
doubts that a beginning could be made
at the state house, as there are nu