New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-04
LIBERAL FEE BILLS.

Tie fees now allowed By law 80 coo"
ners. clerks. sher;fs and other parocalai
officers in this city are so liberal thai one
term Of Office IS considered sufficient -
render the occupa,l. independent for the
remainder OF his life. if he - at al! saw
ing. The position Of criminal sheriff Is
put down as wo-th from fifty thousand TO
seventy thousand dollars year; the c!7l!
sheriff receives nearly az much. while the
average clerk o. 4 tistric: court confident
~ counts on twenty five thousand Ok thirty
thousand dollars. Oae cleEkship IS est
mated to be worth more than the outside
figure named above. Co!0aets receive
exogbitant fees III the course OF the year.
which make ventures in the office good
speculation. even though ;hs chance .; an
election is not of the best
As far as the latter Office is concerned. q
movement looking 70 reform has already
been made in the House. Bill! ) 3 30
proposes TO abolish the fees and e:ao!I.
ments o: eo.onsr,. and pay these officers
| salary Of five thousand dollars a year.
OF. of which they ar. n defray ali o:li!ce
expenses. pay clerk hire: the salary o:
| deputy. exc. There is no doub: :aa:
plenty Of conre:en. men can He found
who would gladly take tie Office a. thee
thousand dollars. but when We take :a:c
! account the expenses necessarily incident
to q proper discharge o: the duties. pe:'
hars five thousand is abou: the :;s,.s .i:.
ure.
| l; is said 20 be- the practice no~ :or a
| successful candidate FOX pa,och!a: Office
Except judge. as soon ~ lie sece:'es
his commission. 70 send Immediately for
an architect and give orders :or building a
! costly uptown house. rightly estimating
that the curren! receipts from his office
will pay the builders 81 As. IS the work
progresses.
Now these positions. with the Law as j.
stands. are something worth contending
| for: worth raising money 90 corrupt con-
ventions for: worth getting. it possible.
even az great risk and cost Hence we
see nominations openly bought and sold
by the candidates of the supposed domie
! nant party. The promise o! lucrative
results make these offices appea. like
prizes TO be cortended for. and obtained
by any means possible, rather than proper
to Da employed. Herein. then. !. one
great cause OF the excitement growing o;,:
Of the elections. We have made our
| public places TOO valuable tor the peace
Of the community. and safety demands
that there be instant reform. We're the
Legislature 20 pass law this week Zee
! ducing the fees OF our sheriffs. clerks.
coroners and district attorneys to jus. once
half VIVA: they are now. proper begin
| nlng would be made. though it might be
question whether the work Of refogma-
ton had gone far enough. IS the Tee
! bills now stand, the chief Of one of these
positions rides around in his carriage like
| a gentleman. and styolls about town, a
man o: elegance and leisure. while he can
afford 20 hire deputies 20 DO the work. 1t
would be wise thing TO DO 10 abo.;s;: the
head altogether, and lie, the deputie, work
for the people on the same terms they now
Go for their rather expensive and nearly
useless employers. When public offices
are brought 20 Il ieye! Wit, analogous
positions il private station. We shai! see
less generalization o. the voters "n etec-
ton day.