Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-15

At the meeting of the chamber of COM
merce yesterday morning a communica-
ton was received from the Plasterers'
Union, asking the use of the chamber for
meeting on Tuesday evening. The re-
quest was unanimously granted provided
it did not interfere with the meeting of
the legislative committee on apportion-
ment, prior leave having been granted
said committee. .
FEES OF COUNTY OFFICERS.
Mr.. L. B. Hodges, from the committee
on salaries of county officers, submitted
the following report, upon which no ac-
ton was taken:
The committee appointed to 'investi-
gate and report what compensation is re-
ceived by the county and city officers, and
whether any legislation is necessary to in
crease or reduce their salaries" would
respectfully report that they have given
the subject full investigation and would
not recommend any change in the amount
paid to any county or city officer, except
as hereinafter mentioned.
1t has been found very difficult for
your committee to ascertain the amount
of compensation received by the sheriff
under the present system of fees. From
the best information we have been able to
obtain, the sheriff's fees during the last
two and half years have probably reached
the sum of not far from $50, 900; and that
the total fees now received per annum
are probably not far short of $40, 000-a
sum far in excess of what is necessary to
insure an able, honest and faithful adj
ministration of1the Office.
We would recommend that this office
be made salaried one, the sheriff to be
required to keep book IN which all fees
shall be promptly entered; that said book
be furnished by the county and so gotten
up as to show full and complete history
of every official paper that passes through
the sheriff's hands, showing amount of
fees and expenses in each case, with the
name of the attorney attached thereto,
and that said book be a portion of the
public record We would commend the
book and its method as now used as the
private property of the present incum-
bent for his own personal convenience.
This officer should be required by law to
pay into the county treasury all fees once
a month, and at the same time make a
full and sworn statement thereof; and
we would recommend that his salary be
| fixed at sc, 900 per annum as full payment
for all services required by law Of said
official The above sum of sc, 900 to in
clude full payment for all deputies, clerks
or other help necessary to enable him to
fully, faithfully and promptly discharge
the duties of the office.
Your committee would recommend that
the office of the clerk of the district court
be made salaried office, and that the
amount of the salary to be fixed at $4,000
per annum; this amount to be in full for
all help necessary to the proper discharge
of the duties thereof. Also that the office
of register of deeds be made salaried Of
flee with salary of 81 900 per annum,
this amount to be in full for all necessary
help. All fees to be entered in public
record book to be furnished by the coun-
ty, by each of the foregoing officers, and
monthly returns of all fees to be made to
the county treasurer with a full and
sworn statement thereof
We recommend the salary of abstract
clerk to be fixed at $500 per annum in
full, and inclusive for all clerk hire.
Also that the. salary of county treasur-
er be raised to $4,000 per annum, this
sum to be in full for salary of treasurer,
and to also cover all clerk hire, deputies,
etc.
We recommend the salary of the clerk
of the board of public works to be fixed
at 81, 500, inclusive of all help.
First Assistant Engineer of the Fire De-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS his salary to 81 900 per
annum, and require him to be always on
J,,f. ok oil ~ 49, Il,
department to be raised to full pay, where
employees to be constantly on duty.
F. We recommend that the street inspect
ors be placed on the staff of the city en-
gineer at a salary of 800 per month each,
and the city engineer be charged with the
direction and faithful performance of
their duties.
Your committee would most respect
fully recommend such legislation as may
be necessary to effect and bring into
force the changes herein set forth.
As the resolution under which this
committee was appointed does not
authorize or require your commit
tee to report a bill, we would rec
ommend the appointment of committee
of legal gentlemen, whose duty shall be
to report such bill as will carry into
effect the changes and recommendations
herein submitted AS to the time when
such legislation shall take effect, your
committee is of the opinion that fair play
to the present incumbents would call for
the proposed changes to take effect at
the termination of their present terms of
office
The aggregate amount Of salaries in the
city engineers department seems to be
large, but from the imperfect data OBJ
tainable, your committee do not feel war
ranted in making any recommendations
For complete statement of the present
salaries of county and city officers the
committee would refer to the annexed ex-
hibit, marked A. Respectfully subitted,
L. B. HODGES,
JAMES STARKEY.
EXHIBIT A-CoUNTY OFFICERS.
Sheriff, fees; clerk of district court, fees;
register of deeds, fees; county auditor, $500;
county treasurer, $4,000; abstract clerk,
50, $50; Judge of probate, $4,000; county at
torney, 81 800; county assessor, 81 600; court
reporter, $500; county superintendent of
schools, $500; seven county commissioners at
500 each two turnkeys and one night
Waterman at $50 per month, and two janitors
at $50 per month
CITY OFFICERS.
Mayor, $500; twelve aldermen, 800 each;
three members board of public works, at 5000