The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-04-17
Official Press Of King County.
Wednesday, April IL. 1878.
FEES VS.. SALARY.

The object of paramount importance
TO be kept in view by the members OF
the Constitutional Convention in franz
ing the fundamental law is. to ensure
efficiency. combined with economy, in
the administration Of State and county
affairs. No part of the work of the
Convention will be scrutinized more
closely, or criticised more generally.
than that relating to the details OF
qualification and compensation of the
State and local officials. 1t is not to be
expected that any system the Conven-
ton may devise or adopt will be salts
factory to all who may think them
selves competent to pass judgment
thereon. We would say in vance to
the critics that it is much easier to dis
cover the defects in another's work
than to remedy them, and we ought to
he conten! to accept any reasonably
good system, although 1t be in many
points not just to our minds. because
what would be satisfactory to one or a
few, might. for good reason. he very
unsatisfactory to many others.
We would recommend the best CON-
promise between the advocates OF the
system Of compensating public officials
by fees on one hand, and the advocates
Of salaries on the other, that county and
precinct officers. and clerks of the
Courts be required to collect fees and
keep account thereof as under our
present system; and that they be allow
ed to retain as their compensation all
fees so collected up to fixed limit. and
all over such limit to be paid by them
into the public treasury. This is the
system which governs the United States
land offices, and works satisfactorily.
No difficulty is ever experienced in
finding competent and worthy men.
willing to accept those positions.
They receive in every case fair
remuneration for all services actually
performed. without being able to
feather their nests for life within the
space of one or two official terms.
Tho constitution or tue new State of
Colorado Classics the counties of the
State on the basis of population, ana
provides that the officials in the more
sparsely populated counties be paid by
fees, and those in the next class receive
salaries. and those in the third class
also receive salaries but higher than
those Of the second class.
There is merit in this system, and
there is also ground for valid objec-
tions thereto. II is q mistaken idea to
suppose that the quantum Of official
services to be performed will depend
upon the population of the county.
The amount of labor to be performed
by tho Clerks of the District Courts,
and the Sheritfs of the different coun-
ties. and the Justices of the Peuce, and
Constables of the different precincts
will depend upon the amount of litiga-
ton and tie number of prosecutions
for violations of law, within their iuris.
dictions, and the amount of litigation
and crime within any community will
depend much more upon the DISPOSE
ton and habits OF the people and kind
OF pursuits in which they engage, than
in their number. To illustrate: Ten
years ago the District Court held nj
Steiiscoom. for but one county, was re.
qulred to continue in session more than
twice as long at each term, as the
Court held at Seattle for three counties,
having much greater extent of terri.
tony and population. and greater variety
and amount of business. except litiga-
ton. We think that it will be found
upon . practical test that under the
Colorado system il will often happen
that officers having srduous duties to
perform. will be but poorly paid. while
others will have more ease and better
pay. While the system may be well
enough upon general average. there
will be individual cases in which it will
prove unfair and unsatisfactory.