Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-20
Capital

BY THE POLITICAL ANALYST

1lA4( o<A@& ~4AAE EAL%RN 4RQAA
a partial and incomplete basis. be-
came impossible Tuesday of this
week when several thousand state
workers began their duties under
contracts that could not be set
aside By any law afterward passed.
Professors and instructors Of the
University OF Texas and all the
other institutions OF higher learn
ing are employed on contracts Of
one year or longer. AL the teach
ers in public schools are on a strict
contract basis.
These contracts became opera
tive before the voluntary" salary
cutting proposal, or legislative eff
forts to reduce the ste budgets
had either been made effective.
Gov. Ross S. Sterling has inform
ed Chmn. Phil Sariers OF the
house appropriations committee
that he will not submit the budget
bills for trimming. The house had
asked him to do that before he
made the statement. The senate
asked him to do 1t afterward: but
his declaration stood unchanged.
The fact that the educational
system employees are on contract.
and their compensation cannot be
changed during the contract period.
may have had much TO do with the
governors policy.
1t would leave for the so-called
voluntary" cutting-not voluntary
at ali except with a few depart
ment heads. most Of whose salaries
ere constitutional ar could not be
iowered-only the clerks in some
OF the departments. The senate was
told that the judiciary would not
Sft its own salary. the ones par
ticularly attacked by Rep. r. H.
McGregor Of Austin. Sen. Tom De-
Berry said the legislature would
not attempt to cut highway de-
partment. educational or judiciary
salaries.
That left the low-paid workers
OF the eleemosynary institutions,
and the clerks in some OF the
state departments.
The public school teachers are
paid by the local governing agen-
cies. but most of their compensa-
ton comes from Che state in the
$3.50 per capita apportionment
for all children listed in the
scholastic census
Since probably three-fourths o.
the entire roster or public en-
ployes, including the public school,
teachers. were beyond the reach OF
any salary-cutting law, the ques-
ton was being raised among 9TH
ers whether an agreement by de-
partment heads not to pay the full
sums appropriated by the legis-
lature for specific jobs could stand
up in court.
1t was pointed out that many Of
the salaries are fixed by the sta
tutes creating the bureaus and de,
partments. NO official could. IL wa.
claimed. withhold any part Of thu
sum provided by law 10 be paic
for a specific service.
The rest Of the Jobs, the usua'
III Of ~stenographic and clerica
places. are provided for BY specific
amounts in the appropriations bill
Efforts to force an informal re-
duction of pay could only apply Il
these. 1t was claimed, and because
or the obvious discrimination in
volved. we're questioned as TO valid,
ity, If attempted.
John 4. DarrouZet. Galveston. Z
supporter OF Gov. Alfred r. Smith
of New York for anything thai
Smith may want, Is authority FOL
the statement that a statewide or
g~anization Of democrats is being
perfected to oppose instrucrinc
Texas delegates TO tho democratic
national convention next year.
The organization shortly viii an
nounce a chairman for every coun.
ty In the state. Mr.. DarrOuzet said
He Is temporary chairman OF the
un~instructed delegation group.
| Mr.. Darrouzet said the movement
was not a campaign effort in sup
| port Of Mr.. Smith. in case Smith
should come back for another ef-
fort at the nomination. He insist
ed II was to avoid a split within
the party before or during the con-
ventions, and TO give a delegation
a free hand In casting the Texas
vote for the most available man.
Along with this. he holds the
belief that Gov. Franklin ID. Roose-
welt does not stand a very good
prospect OF winning the nominal
ton. He believes the nominee win
be Newton ID. Baker. Owen Young
or Gov. Smith. or someone else
other than Roosevelt.