The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-12-21
THE NEW DIsPENsArION.

With the exception of Treasurer, tn
various county officers elect assumed thei
y respective positions on last Monday, Dec
18th. On the same date q new fee IN,
salary law took effect, viz, the act Of Marcl
IL, 1887. This new act makes q very con
, siderable change IN the fees and salaries 0
the officers, but 1t will not take effect as I,
the Treasurer until the beginning Of til,
new term, the first Monday In March, 1889.
Under the old law, or the act which ha.
just expired, the Sheriff wa allowed 4 salar,
Of $1,000 per annum, the under sheriff mo-
to exceed $500 per annum, and deputie.
not to exceed 500 per month, together With
their reasonable and necessary expenses
They, 1t the same time, collected fees 70,
every duty performed, but turned the same
into the county. The new act allows the
Sheriff = salary Of $500 per annum and fee.
for each duty performed, which he retains
himself. The new fees are about two thirds
what they formerly were, and the under
sheriff and deputies receive their pay entirely
in fees. "m.. +
The Clerk and Recorder for Deer Lodge
county under the old act was allowed a sal
AIRY Of $4,000, with two deputies At 4 com.
pensation not to exceed 500 per month,
and all fees were collected and accounted
for to the county. Tie new fee bill, Is
amended 1t the special session Of Sept. ID,
1881, allows the Clerk and Recorder Of this
county . salary Of $1,000 per annum with
fees, but he provides for his own deputies.
The fees are considerably lower than they
were under the old laws. We briefly state
what some Of the fees now are, and they
will indicate what they are generally Re-
cording, first folio, 30 cents each; additional
folio, Is cents; index, 10 cents; certificate
so cents; copies, per folio, Is cents; record
Of quartz claims, ST.; and other fees in pro-
portion. The County Clerk is also allowed
Is cents for each search Of records. This fee
will be charged in every instance: Now
that he must pay bis own deputies, this be-
comes > necessity, IS otherwise his time or
that Of his deputies might be taken up ali
the time in searching records.
Under the old law, the Superintendent of
Schools for this county was allowed q salary
Of $1,000 and travelling expenses; now this
officer will be entitled to a salary of 5000 in
this county, and actual travelling expenses
not to exceed five dollars per district.
The Treasurer, under the old law, was
allowed 9 salary Of s., 800, with an assistant,
# necessary. Under the new law he will be
allowed in this county a salary Of $1,7OO,
with q per centage on all licenses collected
as follows: First $1,000, five per cent; Sec
ond $4,000, three per cent; third $4,000, two
per cent; fourth $1,000, II per cent; and on
all in excess, one per cent.
The Assessor has heretofore drawn So 500
per annum; now he will be allowed q per
on the assessed valuation of the
as follows: On the first three mil
lions or fraction thereof, one-balf of one
mill OF each dollar ; on all in excess of three
millions, one fourth Of one mill on each
dollar. ...- ="".
The Probate Judge has, under the old law,
been allowed q salary Of $1,000, with a clerk
when necessary, at a salary not to exceed
SlOO per month. At the same time these
'ficers collected fees for every duty per.
ormed and turned the same into the treas. {
Try. The old fees collected ran from $50 I
Q $50 for each estate settled, and about $40 q
q civil and criminal cases. Under the new ]
ct the Probate Judge will receive only fees,
With no provision made for salary Of . clerk. $
The fees are reduced more than one hall. t
Under the new bill the fees in an estate will b
arely or ever exceed $40. The business Of I
be Office is largely increasing, the county is
becoming populous, deaths are more fire. {
uent, and It will take more than one person s
ow to do the work in the office. 1t is esti- .
rated that at the present fees $1,000 per I
cannot possibly be realized out of Il
le office, aud 1t seems necessary for the b
legislature to increase the compensation, as #
0 competent person will have the Office if r,
re present compensation is to continue. n
We are decidedly favorable, however, to g
'e return to the fee and per centage system. y
'e were always opposed to the salary sys- a
yielding only once to the entreaty Of 4 C
lend to ''eive the salary system a fair trial" a
'e are satisfied now it has cost this county e'
ms of thousands Of dollars, aud are glad to
e 1t revoked. 1t may be a better adjust
of fees can be made from time to time.
1t let us not resort to the salary system :.
Jain in county Offices. One of the incidents :,
the fee system i, that If the officers incur :.
'pense, they do 1t on their own response : :.
lily and not that of the county, Another
that for their " services and that of D.
cir assistants they must collect the fees. :.
hey propose to do business in this county =
tie 'cash SYSTEM" and it is correct. All -
rsons therefore requiring the Sherif's 80
rvices In civil actions, or papers recorded, -
other official work done, should be pre-. -
red to pay for the same. Officers cannot -;
. on promises to pay. The credit system ~
8 s'gone into the shop condemned. =,
to-
ANOTHER DOLE. 49,. to
80 ~
'ntana only Gets So, 900 to do $4,000 Worth Pr
Of Necessary Surveying. an
Special to the Independent.
Dec. 17.-Commissioner ~,
e.eet ". '"o se"e's1 iAuu once nss Ur
It finished the distribution Of the money -,
propriated last year forthe public surveys.
70 hundred thousand dollars went into the
preparation bills for this purpose a. the !
t session Of Congress, $4,000 Of which HI