The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-07-18
SALARIES AND FEES.

h4u6 t1ND LAM
On the third Monday of next Septem-
Der, all county officers, with the single |
exception of treasurer, will have to col
lect his fees and s,,lary under the law |
passed at the late session Of the legisla. |
ture. The act of Congress passed July
3Oth, 1886, provides that no local or
special" laws shall be passed by the leg
islature of the territories creating, in
creasing, or decreasing fees. percentage
or allowance of public officers during the |
term for which they are elected or APP
pointed" This, then looks very much |
as If the officers elected this year, must
abide by the fees or salaries in force at
the time they take Office, although 1t is
claimed by many that general law in
which all the salaries are re-adjusted
throughout the territory can be passed
legally. This remains to be seen, but
from the information before us at pre-
sent it looks very much as If the fees or
salaries cannot be increased or diminish-
ey during the incumbency Of the official,
and as there is no likelihood of m extra
session of the legislature being convened
again this is the only time the matter
can be re.armnged.
The late law was passed atthe time
when the District Clerk was stationed
IN this county and will go into effect at
a time when he will be located here
again, otherwise there would be no
authority for compensating deputy
which is required when the clerk lives
at another point in the district. The
elective Office ofcounty clerk isnow worth
81 800 per year and the necessary
deputies are allowed 500 per month.
Under the new law this Office will be
worth 81 900 per wear and fees consider
ably reduced, and the official must pay
from his own pocket the expense of
hiring a deputy. 1t is maintained by
many that no deputy is required, but in
as much as the law requires the clerk to
have one. 1t is intended that such deputy
shall only serve actively il desired in the
absence OF the clerk, and that there is
nothing in the law which requires
deput" to engage solely in the business
of the county. The fees under the new
law will not lie in this county over ST.
600, 80 it tan readily be seen that the
clerk will not be able to hire a deputy
and keep him under constant pay. The
person who obtains this Office will have
to do all the work himself.
The treasurer now receives the salary
of$2,60O per year with deputy in this
county, under the new law the treasurer
will nay his deputy from his own pocket
and receive salary Of 81 800 with per-
centage on the amount collected for
licenses as follows: Five per cent on
the. first 5000; three per cent on the
second 5000; two per cent on the third
5000 one and one half per cent on the
fourth 1000 and one per cent on any
excess. The amount of the licenses col.
lected during the past year will serve as
basis to determine what money there
will be in this office for the next two
years, if any one is interested enough in
the matter to look it up.
The assessor at present receives $500
per year. Under the new law he will
!, receive percentage of the assessed
valuation returned and accepted. The
percentage will beone and one half mills
on the dollar. There is every reason to
believe that the assessor will try to make
all the money possible out OF the office
and it is evident everyone will be asses.
sed up to the highest notch.
Instead Of a salary of $500 which the
sheriff now receives besides fee fol
boarding prisoners, he will be allowed
fees and mileage, the former are about
70 per cent of what they were in formel
years and the latter is fifteen cents
While the sheriff will have TO provide
for and pay his own deputies, it is reason
able to suppose that the new era ofactivi
ty will be infused into this office all ovel
the territory and that no criminal will &c
"unwhipt"of Justice.
The probate Judge will have his salary
entirely abolished and fees will be allow
ed him. These fees are about one. hal
of what was allowed under the former
fee law, and there is considerable bus,
pess for which no fees at all are allowed
We estimate that the probate Judge
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