Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-01-15
Oren'S Salary Bill,

At the CO nmencement of the present
session of our Legislature, the following
petition was e 1t in from CleImo It county:
To The Honorable Msm5ers'of The General A
senNj Of The StHe Of Ohio:
We, the Undersigned citzsns and tax-payers
OF the County Of Clermnnt, State Of Ohin, be-
hevs that tie time has arrived when those bur-
dened by our present oppressive taxes should
adnpt seme practical measure tor our relief A
IrlRhuul slurce of our hurdeusOme taxation,
- the eXOrbitanty high fees paid our county
ofnc9rs and the statute which allows a rrea sur
er to draw fee of $1,000; Clerk of Court,
Auditor, and Probate Judge, $4,000; and Re-
ehrder, $4,000 per annum, is wrong aud OPP
pressIve. We therefore petition your honorable
body ~ so amend the Statute of Ohio, relative
tothe fees OF the county officers 50 as not TO al
low any officer to receive for his services sum
exceeding s. 500 per annum. And all other
counties throughout the State, using your dis
eretion as to counties Of larger or smaller pop
ulaton.
The same question has attracted the at
tention of the Legislature for a number OF
years past, and several laws have been en-
acted bearing upon the subject, yet the
question is not solved. No law seems to
have yet been enacted that equalizes the
salaries Of County officers so that all will
receive pay according to the labos and re-
sponsibilities OF their respective positions.
We have not yet seen a text of the Orcn
bill that passed the House on the 9TH inst,
but judging from the appended comments
OF the Bid1e, with an illustration of how
the bill will operate in Lucas county, it is
fair IA fhak - q I,,
lustration of the hasty manner in which
our numerous laws are ground out without
consideration:
at is probable that the aggregate amount
paid 10 county officers in the State is not
too much, yet this bill reduces the total
snouut Of salaries about S275,00O. Here
tOforo, while the salaries received in some
counties has been too high, in others it has
been too low. Take the responsible office
ot County Treasurer for example Every
one c0nversant with the facts must know
that, in all of the smaller counties, the COM
PensatioD is entirely below reasonable wa
ges for the services required. The difficulty
has been 10 frame law which would Sc
cure Just and equitable salaries in every
county. The rule which would give prop
er compensation TO officers in Hamilton
county, would starve the officers in Ottawa
county. Thus, Legislators have failed to
make any material improvement in the
method of fixing the compensation of coun-
ty officers, and we have little faith in any
attempt in that direction, unless the whole
question can be referred to the County
Commissioners, thus enabling each county
TO FIX its own rates of compensation.
Oren's bill is no improvement on the ex-
isting law. Indeed, IL Is probably more
unjust than the law now regulating the sal
dries of county officers, since it must reduce
the pay, in many counties, To a point which
cannot command competent services. The
following table shows the salaries of the
officers of Lucas county under the existing
law, and also the amount which they would
be authorized to receive under Oren's bill