Daily Republican., 1890-05-06
Needs Explaiains.

huu lTy uOt 10 lnink DAu tnOught
against the Levy Court until II has
been given proper opportunities for
explain ition and il fails to make them
We never saw the matter so plain as
we have since the investigations have
been going on in Sussex county. I'm
less there Is some special law hid
sway in some volume published since
1874. the time the digest was recon-
piled and republished which allows
the Levy Court the salaries 1t has
been drawing, we frankly say it has
been paying itself too much money.
The salary Of Levy Courtman is
very plainly laid down In the code of
1874 at $500 per day and 8 cents a
mile going and returning.
Whether that means mileage tor
every day n member Of the Levy
Court attends it's sessions is a question
We are not able TO decide. but that has
been the charge, and we will forego
argument upon that score. Tho other
part We leave for legal minds. This
salary applies only 10 meetings OF the
Levy Court Its sessions, adjourned
meetings, etc.
But Levy Courtmen are allowed an
additional salary Gs individual men,
bers of the court for experimenting
the repairs of roads and bridges. We
cannot make this palmer than by re-
publishing what we published yester-
day, the law Itself, as found in Revised
Code, Section 26, page S2G, entitled,
''ifoads aud Bridges"
Z 'The Levy Court commissioners re.
spectively shall suLerintend the repairs
oi roads and bridges In their respective
hundreds and shall examine and correct
the overseer's lists and accounts. Each
commissioner shall receive, for tfiis SCR
viee. one dollar aud eighty cents for each
days attendance thereon /; provided, tina.
no commissioner shall receive more than
twelve dollars per annum therefor"
4 This salary is entirely disconnected
from the salary for attending the Levy
Court meetings. 1t belongs exclu.
sively to the Levy Courtman OF each
hundred. The intention OF the law
seems to be to charge against Levy
Courtmen drawing excessive salaries,
snd distinctly says that this service
Tor the respective hundreds shall not
exceed Si2 year. 1t supposes tha,
all reasonable service can be rendered
In six or seven days, and If more day.
are spent In the work there is eyi-
IDENTIFY to be no pay. We think We
have commented entirely fair upon
this subject, and now we will review
the salary received by II. D. Hick
man, Levy Court Commissioner from
Wilmington Hundred, not thai Mr.
hickman has drawn higher salary
proportionaiely than any olher Levy
Courtman, but because he is in IN,
city, everybody knows him, and hi
mileage is easily computed.
In the March session OF the Lev,
Court for 1888, Mr.. Hickman was al
lowed $3.50 20 salary, besides som
little Incidental allowances that di
not come under the term OF salary
Let Us see how much Mr.. Hickman
enlary would have amounted to &C
carding to the fee bill as laid down /
the law. First then, he attended coul
say three weeks of four days each i
February, twelve days, and four week
in March, four days week. IL day
and one day Tor each Of the Temainin
months, 10 DAYS, making total OF :
Gays. Ten days would be a liber
allowance for extra and adjoufnt
sessions, making total OF IS days o
tendance at court during the yea
For this his salary would be at 50
day Si74. We do not know wheth,
he charged mileage or not, as his res
dence is less than half mile from II
Court House door.
But TO be on the sure side witho
doing injustice we will allow ii
Hickman one mile, which would
six cents day, and we will allow
Tor every day he attended court. tt
would add s. As more to his sa!ar
running ii up 10 sl75,4S. AS an
dividual member of the Levy Court
overseeing the construction Of bri3i
and caueeways, he can only draw $
according to tie law. which VIC
run his salary up TO $3.50 IS I
seems to be al that can be. .squee.
out OF 1t. The salary looks ridi
inusly small but that cannot be help
The difference between SlS9 As.
that tho law seems TO allow, and 50;
e5, the amount drawn by Mr.. Hi
man for salary, is $40 n. We do
say that Mr. hickman has drawn
cent he WAS not entitled to, but VIC
say that some explanation is needed
the absence oil which more will
said.
Now let lis turn to George G. Ro
wells salary, Levy Cour,man II
Blackbird hun dred, the ialthest Fl
the Court Houre and for which
charges mileage ior 10 miles, he l
ing to go to Smyrna, Kent coul
and come by way OF Clayton TO
mington. The number OF days
tendance at court will be the sam
Mr.. Hickman's and his salary
same, $174. Bat 6 cents q mile
each days attendance would be s.
and for 5S days s1S9.20, which, al
TO his per diem, makes 1913 20. y
the allowance OF $12 for hun
work, his total salary would
1895. 20. The salary paid Mr.. X
well for that year, 1877, WAS $67
The difference between 1926 20,
amount apparently due Mr.. Rothy
and $S77.20, the amount he drey
$bo2.00. As in Mr.. Hickman's I
the salary paid may be all right,
An explanation Is certainly nei
and an anxious public awaits ,
explanations with interest.