Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-11-14
COMMUNICATED.

COMMUNICATED.
MEssRs EDIToRs Wishing to see re
form in sundry matters of importance to tho
people, ask the privilege of inviting the at
tention of the county delegation and the pub
lie generally, through the medium of your
paper.
1t is thought by many that the fees of the
clerk of the district court and also OF the re-
corder are quite too high.
| In what manner the fees of the clerk are
assessed, it is impossible ior one not acqain-
ted with the method of doing business in our
courts to ascertain. This is not important to
our present purpose. When the aggregate
of his fees are known, for year, then a man
ofcommon understanding can pass judgment
as to the propriety of the several items. Ii
is on this ground that complaint is made;
knowing the aggregate, which is said to be
from fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars
per annum, it is evident that the charges are
extravagant. 1t is needless TO comment on
the improperly of such sallry to any Off
Ger, whether civil or judicial.
The manner of assessing the Recorders
fees are not involved in such mystery, be-
cause every man has more or less to do with
his office, and knows what he has to pay for
recording deed A comparison then OF
some of the states with our territory will
show the extravaganza of the fee here. In
Connecticut the recording of a wanantee
costs II cents; a mortgage 20; and SO with
the New England states generally, with but
little variation. Michigan IS cents, and
/ W..,,ane., IL E<>,,,
what are the fees of the states; it is enough
for us that they are too high here, yielding
an annual income of from eight to twelve
hundred dollars. 1t is not difficult 10 ac-
count for this state of things. These Off
ces were established during high pressure
times and consequently on that principle.
Money, or rather that which passed for it,
was plenty then, and the means of living ex-
tremcly high; but now the scale is turned,
money is scarcer and living very heap
From one half to two-thirds the income
man had five or six years ago, will furnish
as good living now as the whole would
then. Every view which can be taken of
the subject tends to the conclusion that the
fees of these ofiaers should be reduced so
as to correspond to the change of times and
circumstances.
Oae or two points in the law for organi-
sing town government require passing no
|.tice. 1t is impossible, under the present ar
rangement to obtain an equal assessment of
the county, especially as respects personal
property and Improvements; from the fact
that the assessors of each town are left to
adapt such scale of valuation for their re-
spective towns as to them shall seem just.
Nothing is more plain than that such a course
will lead to nearly, if not quite as many,
scales as there are towns in the county.
Would it not be an improvement so to amend
the law as that there shall be meeting of
one assessor from each town previous to Ia
king the assessment for the purpose of adop-
ting some scale which shall be uniform
throughout the county, each town paying the
expense of its own officer Great difficulty
is experienced in collecting the highway tax
of nonresident land owners. 1t is unneces-
sary to enumerate the difficulties; they will
suggest themselves to the minds of all con-
versant with the matter.
1t may not be amiss however to remark
that the principle obstacles have arisen from
the inattention of the legislature in putin g
these taxes into the hands of pathmasters for
collection. Whoever will examine the law
on this point, will see that the duties of this
class of officers is quite onerous, and such as
in nine cases out of ten will not be perform
ed according to law. The office itself is a
burden to any man, requiring in most cases
more of his time than is necessary 10 pay his
own tax, and beyond that affording him no
compensation. Besides it cannot be expect
ed that man who is appointed to an Office
which yields no pay, will apply himself very
closely to the law to learn his duties, espe-
cially if they require sacrifice of his inter
est.
Would it not be better to give non-resi-
dents to certain time, say till September
first, or any otherwise, to the road commits
sioners of the town or the path master of the
district in which their lands lie for the pur-
pose of working their tax; and in case of fai-
\ lure on their part, let the tax be collected
with the county tax and paid over to the
town as is now provided. This would throw
the burthen where it belongs, save the trou-
BILE of advertising, and what is more than all
ensure the collection of the tax.
Some such arrangement as this should be
made, for | think it may safely be said that
| when hundreds of dollars should have been
collected and expended on the roads, the
subject has been suffered to 60 almost en-,
ltirely by default, owing to the complicated
machinery of the INV. SlmpiiIy the P,oeess
of collection, put the business INTO Inc hal'us
of those who are paid for their services; men
those whose lands are benefited and impre-
we'd by good roads, will bear their proportion
Of the expense in making them. ,npn
u A' A SUBSCRIBER.
por,rRy-It is scarcely credible how
valuable IS the poultry, in the United States.