The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1879-02-20
The Codifying Com mission.

One of the hobbies of the last Legislature was
Codfyins Commission. and from an inspection of the
advance sheets OF their forthcoming report, ill.,
clned to think that in the matter of dollars and cents
their labOrs will he about profitable to the tax
payers of the State, Will those Of the Potter Com
mittee. In defining the duties of County officers,
they report that each County shall provide reprOof
Offices, SC, and in the chapter prohibit the
County Commissioners frum, expendng more than
one thousand dollars in the erection of permanent
County ;seople,by vote, author
ize greater expenditure. And again all restrictions
are removed on the evying of taxes for County pur
peses. The rate shall correspond the whim OF the
Commissioners. Provision is made for the consOda-
ton OF tha office Of Register of Deeds with that of the
Clerk of the District Court. We shall be glad have
the Commission explain wherein this measure will
simplify the working OF the County machinery or be
saving to the people. The office of of Deeds
costs the people nothing in the way taxes and it will
take the same force to perform the work, whether
consolidated The duties of the County Clerk
and County Treasurer are increased about one hun
dred per cent, with no corresponding benefit. For
instance, the County Clerk must virtually keep
transcript OF every receipt issued by the Treasurer
and their accounts must be balanced every day. In
fact sections Co. 81, d. 6S and ~ of the chapter al
luded to impractcablc, tending tocompcate rath
er than simplify the duties of those officers. Their
adoption will be the cause Of introducing more re-
cords, and consequently more labor and expense aud
benefit to the people, and security against
loss People now complain that there is too much
red tape in the administration of affairs. and We
would like for one to explain where there would
be less when, if the law as reported be adopted,
cry person being entitled to a Township, City,
School District order must, before payment OF the
same can be made, make journey to the County
Seat, and obtain the signature of the County Clerk
thereto, before the same shall be Of any validity
and if there are funds in the Treasury the par
ticular time pay the order, the County Clerk shall
not sign it, compelling the person entitled to the
der to wait until there shall be funds thus virtually
preventing him from the enjoyment of what really
belongs to him; for, Of course, he cannot transfer
discount his order until it shall be made valid by
the signature of the County Clerk.
The County Attorney Is required to examine all
bills presented to the Board for allowance and shall
endorse the bill the chapter and section of the law
authorizing the payment or shall endorse, payment
not authorized by law as the may be. The Leg
slature ought to amend by providing that it shall be
penal oense for the Board to refuse payment of an
account after the County Attorney had SO approved
it; then the section would be harmonious and equal
ly sensible. The law for furnishing real estate
sessment rolls is rs absurd n law can well be, as
well the law relating to the Treasurers sale of
Land for taxes. We had expected that the Commits
sion, composed il is of such learned and eminent
men, would produce a code that would be a credit to
themselves, at least but If the advance sheets
have seen are fair sample of their labors we think
the mountain in labor has been delivered of a mole
hill In fact, gentlemen, is it not fat job put up
for the benefit Of the lawyers, and especially adapted
increase instead of diminish litigation But then
at = day, they must report something. and their
names ought be canonized, and their blsts i'm
MARBLE and placed in conspicuous places in the Cap
ito that it may not be forgotten that Kansas had at
one time Codifying Commission Os,rego indepen-
ssaL