The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-11-12
SALARY REDUCTIONS
| IN n. D. TO BECOME
EFFECTIVE DEC. 8
Few Will Escape Reductions,
However, Until Present
Terms Run Out
December 8 will be a sad day for

December will be a sad day for
those Bismarck residents who hold
places on the state payroll.
On that day the salary reduction
measure approved at the election last
Tuesday, will become effective. The
result will be to reduce nearly every
pay-check by 20 per cent a month
thereafter.
A few will escape, a survey showed
Saturday since the constitution pro-
vides that salary may not be reduce
ed during the term for which a man
Is elected.
Under this provision members of
the state supreme court, other than
Chief Justice A. M. Christensen, will
continue to receive $500 a year until
their terms expire. Christensen will
receive $4,000 year during his six
year term beginning in January.
Two Of the three members Of the
state railroad board, now drawing
81, 900 year, also will be exempt.
They are Fay Harding and c. w. Nc
Donnell. The former has two years
of six-year term left to him and the
latter has four years to go before he
comes up for reelection. Thus Ben
c. Larkin, elected this year. will re-
ceive $2,400 year while his colleagues
draw their old salary.
In some states, however, courts
have held that such statutes may not
be effective until the expiration of
the term Of the man most recently
elected to serve on the board, on the
ground that all members of board
do the same work and are entitled
to the same salary. If this question
is raised and similar decision made
in North Dakota. the salary cuts of
Christensen and Larkin would each
be delayed four years.
The constitutional protection does
not extend to appointive officers or
other job-holders, however.
It is expected, however, that the
constitutionality of the act will be
challenged in the near future. A
similar challenge, made in an effort
to keep the question off the ballot,
was ignored by the supreme court on
the ground that the matter was not
FAokNAAy IA 4OOuC UClOxC ~.
The main question raised in an ef-
fort to keep the matter off the bal
lot was that it is impossible to amend
law without setting forth the law
sought to be amended and the indi-
eating proposed changes therein. AS
presented the initiated assure
amends nearly every appropriation
measure and score or more of other
statutes in addition.
Contrary to the general belief, it
was disclosed Saturday, Judge A. M.
Christensen was not elected to a
10 : year term. A constitutional
amendment, adopted in 1928 and
making the terms of supreme court
justices 10 years each, does not be-
come effective until 1894. At that
time three men will be elected. The
one with the most votes will draw a
10-year term. the second man will
draw an eight-year term and the
third man will be elected for six
years. Thereafter only one Judge
Will be elected each biennium and all
terms will be 10 years.
The law extending the terms of
district court judges from four to six
years became effective this year and
on the basis Of incomplete returns
Fred Jansonius, Bismarck, drew the
six-year term for the fourth judicial
district. In districts where three
judges were elected, the high man
received the six-year term, the Sec
ond the four-year term and the third
was elected for two years.