This is an era of rising salaries for public officials – local, coimty, state, and national ap pointive as well as elective. in some situations, the salaries have spiraled rapidly; in others the climb has been more gradual and conservative. There appears ‘to be little correlation among government levels in some cases. One wonders if there shouldn’t be some type of over-all job assessment and salary program with master guidelines on size and timing of increases. The diverse range of salaries of elective and appointive officials can be seen in these examples: Federal: Top level executive salaries are being debated at present, following recommendations of a federal pay commission which would raise members of Congress from $44,600 to $57,500; and the vice president, speaker, and chief justice from $65,000 to $80,000. State: Governor, $35,000 (his benefits traditionally include living quarters); lieutenant governor-secretary of state, $22,000; attorney general, $25,000; state treasurer and auditor, each $21,000; legislative auditor, $33,372. We understand there is a bill in the legislature recommending the governor be increased to $40,000 and the lieutenant governor, treasurer, and auditor to $28,000. Judicial: A bill approved by the Utah State Senate recently would raise salaries of supreme court justices from $30,000 to $35,500 except the chief justice who would receive $36,000. District and juyenile judges would be raised from $27,500 to $33,500. The president of University of Utah receives $52,500 and the president of Utah State University gets $43,500. Counties: Utah County commissioners and county attorney, $20,800; other elected officials, $19,884. Weber County commissioners, $19,680; other elected officials, $19,090. Salt Lake County commissioners, $27,500; county attorney, $27,725; sheriff and auditor, $27,225; other elected officials, $24,200. Utah County school districts: Superintendents – Alpine, $38,841; Provo, $31,347; and Nebo, $31,038. District clerks – Alpine, $28.611; Provo, $22,926: and Nebo. $23,969. Senior high principals Alpine, $22,372; Provo, $22,297; and Nebo, $23,124. Provo City; Mayor, $22,440; city commissioners, $22,008. auditor, $21,588; and city judges, $21,444. Most of the above figures have been compiled as they have appeared in the news recently. They do not take into account benefits other than salary which undoubtedly would vary considerably. The range of salaries and proposed increases prompt many questions, including: -Do members of Congress really rate the kind of raise proposed – especially with the generous fringe benefits available to them’? What would be the inflationary effects? Once before when top federal people took a massive salary raise there was a chain reaction of pay demands, and inflation soared. -Why do salaries of some appointive officials seem to rise faster than those of elective officers? One public officer believes this may be because appointive salaries are less exposed to public glare. At state level something like 112 employees mostly in health and education related departments – make higher salaries than the governor. Should this trend receive closer scrutiny? -Why are salaries of top public school officials in the region significantly higher. say, than salaries received by mayor and commissioners of Central Utah’s largest municipality? -1s the system of percentageof-salary increases sometimes employed for public employees a fair method in all cases, increasing as it does the spread between high-paid and low-paid workers? Ten per cent of $20,000, for example. is double 10 per cent on $10,000. Shouldn’t some thought be given to getting the top and bottom closer together instead of further apart’? The Herald suggests that insofar as public salaries within the state of Utah are concerned, some appropriate agency possibly appointed by the governor or legislature – make detailed studies looking to recommendations for greater equity, economy, and coordination, as well as keeping the public informed. There have been salary studies at some levels. of course. But we are not aware of any aimed at representing the taxpayer in examining the over-all program something that obviously would be of value if it can be achieved.