The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-22
SALARIES VS.. FEES AND PEROUI
SITES.

to achieve certain success IN the apprOachln
campaign, and that that success shall redoun
to the substantial benefit of the State and O
, this city. they must, at this session of tn
General Assembly, inaugurate system O
reform and retrenchment Of public expenses
that will convince the people that they ar,
more careful for the public welfare than fo
personal gain. They must, and the party
must show by acts and not by words and pro
fessions merely, that they seek to cast the
usurpers and spoilsmen from power, not fol-
the sole purpose Of grasping the spells o.
office, but for the honest purpose Of tighten.
ing the burdens of the people by abolishine
all needless Offices, and reducing the incomes
of Office to legitimate and frugal standard.
The enormous fees and perquistes of office
enjoyed by officials in this city are beyond all
reason and propriety. They are not at all
proportionate to the salaries paid to our
Judges and other high functionaries, whose
duties are greatly more onerous, and require
far more learning and ability, and attended,
too, with quite as much responsibility.
Whether these lucrative offices be now, or
shall hereafter be, filled by Democrats or
Radicals, signifies nothing in the solution of
the question OF reform we are now consider
ing. We do not, therefore, present it as a
partisan measure, but as one of sheer Justice
to the whole community. We simply appear
to the representative of our party in the
Legislature as the only parties tn are who are
likely to listen to the complaints of the peo-
pie and to their demands for substantial
relief.
Why, for instance, should district court
Judge have a salary of but $1,000 year,
whilst his clerk enjoys an income by way of
fees and perquisites Of two o. three times that
amount? Why, at the same time should the
Sheriff have net income large enough to
pay the salaries Of all the district judges in
the city? Why should the Clerk Of the Su-
preme Court be paid more than the Chief
Justice Why should the Register Of Mort
cages, OF Conveyances, Of Births and Deaths,
enjoy an annual income from his fees and
perquisites amounting to not small fortune,
whilst there are multitude Of competent
men who would be glad to fill these offices at
comparatively insignificant salary? What
reason can there be that a tax-collector Of one
Of our city districts should enjoy an income
from his Office four or five times the salary Of
the Governor of the State
Other lucrative offices than the above
might possibly be mentioned, illustrative of
the vicious system of compromising the SER
vices of public officers by exoroitant fees and
perquisites, instead of by fixed salaries.
This whole system IS indefensible By any
principle of justice or political economy. It
ought to give place to TIE more equitable and
rational system of paying, wherever it be
possible, public officers, Of whatever grade.
fixed salaries, without any fees or perquisites
whatever. Salaries should be graduated by |
the importance and responsibilities of the
office, the onerous character of the duties to
be performed and the learning and capacity
required to discharge them properly. The
requisite number Of deputies or clerks should
be allowed to each Office, at ixed salaries, or
per diem compensation.
There need be no fear but all these offices
would be eagerly sought by competent men
under the salary system. No Office in Loui 81
ana or the city of New Orleans ever goes
begging for candidate to Ill it, even at a
moderate salary.
This measure Of relief being inalgurated,
if it should still be thought that any official
fees whatever should be eZacted to be paid
nto State or City Treasury, snch fees could
Dc and should be reduced to the lowest practi-
liable amount, without raising clamor
rom greedy ofice-holders. Then our
courts would be open to the poor and the
ich alike, and litigation would not be such ,
n expensive luxury as to amount to denial
# justice, as is at present the case. Then,
90, the several Offices of registration would
erve the purposes for which they were Gre
ted, and not chiefly to enrich the incumbent
Then, also, would the taxes collected serve the
purposes for which only they ought to be
evied, instead Of stimulating and pampering
he greed of the tax-collector, or attording
i'm an opportunity to farm them out to
peculator for a sum sufficient to amount to
n adequate salary for making the collections.
The necessity Of this reform has been long
60 recognized and much talked of by many
our most intelligent and patriotic citizens,
nd now is the time to consummate it, or at
east to make vigorous effort to do SO. ,
Let our Democratic-C Conservative friends a
vail themselves Of their majority in the $
louise to inaugurate and push through this {
eform at the present session Of the Legisla. Il
1re. :
1t is very gratifying to know that some of c
he incumbsnts of the Offices referred to are t
in favor of the reform, and will t
Ike an active part in furthering any measure
aving for its object q just and proper equal a
'ation Of the salaries of public officials.
CoRoNERs' SALARIES. Hon. E.. L. Bower, y
Orleans, has introduced o bill "to fix the