The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-24
THE COUNTY CLERKS OFFICE.

The Sub Committee Hold Open Sessions
Whit County Clerk LOew Had to Say-1he
Office Worth Twenty. five Thousand Dol.
lars Per Apnum.
The sub committee appointed to investigate com.
plants against the office OF tho County Clerk met
last evening IN the Fifth Avenue Holel at six p. NJ
The committee comprises Messrs. Flammer, Tllden
and Hays. Before they commenced 10 receive evil
dence Mr. Niles examined Mr. Vedder Vandyck, OF
the firm Of Alexander Green, in reference to the
complaints against the Registers Office. witness
stated thar he had always been treated with courtesy
AMI attenionby the Register and his subordlnates,
and had never heard any complaints about over
charges Mr.. Niles then SAID 1t mas been stated be.
fore nm that morning that the subcommittee had
been coarse and exacting IN their treatment OF the
Registers office, and asked witness II he had heard
anything to that effect. Witness stated that he had
heard so from Mr.. Higgnbotham.
Mr.. Flammer then TOOK the testimony OF Julian T.
Davies OF the firm OF Davies Work, In relation TO
the County Clerks office. Mr.. Davies stated that
his firm aid business Tor the Mutual Life Insurance
Company of New York. and they had OCCASION to
make a great many examinations OF deeds IN the
them prompt In their attention TO business.
he did not think the charges were at all
S@ OF the nad and ouSa a' maj
he mad not been charged tel cents more
than the legal fee on any or The deeds on which he
had caculated the extra charges Tor searches made
within twenty-four hours amounted to about fifty
per cent OF the legal iees he dld not think that
excessive charge; since January, i, 1872 owing to
the negotiations OF the Third Avenue Savings Bank
We had To examine q great many titles, and all were
put through under tue twenty TOUR hours think the
ONCE IS exceedingly well conducted, and mas been
much improved under the charge OF Mr.. LOew, who
nave always found very ANXIOUS TO rectliy any OF
the trifing errors made by his suoordlnates;
Clerks once since Mr.. Locw assumed that Office.
Mr.. Vedder Vandyck then testified to the same
effect. adding that he mad never heard OF any COM
plants and never made u complaint ABOUT the lees
and extra charges,
County Clerk Loew then stated that the Office was
run partly on salary and partly by fees; the clerks
in the County Clerks Office are paid salaries from
the county, and the searchers ana all expenses
OF that department. are paid by the County
Clerk from the fees he receives; the fees
that were not searching fees are paid
monthly into the County treasury under oath; the
County Clerk and Clerk of the Supreme Court
receive q salary OF 1000 per annum. The Search.
S25, 600 per annum, which Is paid out OF the lees
have never kept any account, but rom statements
made In tue newspapers and 10y people connected
with the ONCE certain That the lees iar less
tnan generally supposed, and from what
little knowledge have on the subject I would
expenses were paid tor the emoluments; I would
not ne willing to run the risks OF sucn position Tor
q smaller saary | take FISK OF searchers net levy
ing on judgments or any other lien being searched
for-the risk OF clerks masking mistake IN entry or
indcXing OF liens; they would be as liable to leave
on Judgment OF 100000 as one OF $500, and In the
event OF such error the County Clerk Is responsible
for the amount and would have to pay iJ: j give
two surees In the OF Sl5, 0O0 each qualified IN
double the amount; 1t IL important that the county
Clerk be a responsible man.
The committee then adjourned sine die.