The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1869-01-11
THE NEW BOARD OF SUPERVI-
SORS.


new Board Of Supervisors have closed
their first session, and we congratulate
the people of the County at large upon
the manly ami vigorous action which they
have taken in the reduction Of the ,ala-
ries Of County officials. 1t will be seen
BY reference to the proceedings, that the
Clerk Of the Board, who has hitherto re-
ceived $500 per year, will this year re-
ceive but 800; The Prosecuting Attor-
ney. who has been receiving S4O0 per
year, will receive but 5000; and the
County Superintendent Of Schools will,re-
ceive $l25, instead Of $500, as hereto
fore. In these particulars alone it will
be seen thut the Board has made an an.
nual saving to the County Of 1915,
We expect that some will grumblc at
this, but we are Of the opinion that the
salaries are still sufficiently high. We
do not believe that justice requires the
Board Of Supervisors to pay their Clerk
three or four. times the salary they receive
themselves; and we further believe that
$500 is amply sufficient to compensate
the Prosecuting Attorney for bis services,
There is not lawyer who practices at
the Bar that receives that amount for lis
services in criminal cases during the
year; and yet, that Official, in addition to
bis salary, is allowed by law fee of $40
for every case in which he obtains con-
victiou. The Office Of County Supcrintcn-
dent ofSchools we have always consider
ed utterly useless, and surely $l25 per
year is large amount for performing
the simple duties Of that position.
While we are grati6ed at the spirit Of
retrenchment which is manifested by the
new Board, we could have wished that
they had gone further, and made a thor.
ough ovcrhauling Of all tho officers paid
out Of the County Treasury, and sec
whether the same system Of extrayagance
had not been practiced in their cases.
We wish to call tho attention Of the
Board to another matter. We arc in
formed that the Sheriff and Tailor, who
occupy the County Jail building as res.
idence, have hitherto been furnished with
coal at the expense of the county. II
this be SO, it is certainly wrong. The
Sheriff receives from the County $3.50 as
ssldry, in addition to all his fees and COM
missions, and a comfortable house in
which to live-rcnt.free. In many coun.
ties the Sheriff receives n, salary what
ever--fof instance, in Monongalia. He
resides in the County Jail building, which
Is considered as in lieu of salary. In
upshur county there is no Jail building,
and consequently the Sheriff lives in his
own house; and we are informed that
that County pays him but s125 as salary.
II we are to furnish the Sheriff and his
family, and the Jailor and lis family with
bouse.rcnt and fuel, we may next be
called upon to furnish them with provi.
sious-aud we think with equal justice
10 oldcn times. even the Clerks Of the
County and Circuit Courts were com.
PEELED to furnish their own lights and
fuel and it cannot surely be asked that
We should.now furnisl, the whole official
family-and their familics-wi.h the
necessarios Of life.
There are other matters Of a kindred
nature. t. which we shall not fail to call
the attention Of the Board in future num-
bcrs.