The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-03
NO FEES FOR COUNTY OFFICERS.
Trying to Adjust Scale for Equitable
Compensation.

Trying to Adjust Scale for Equitable
Compensation.
The Joint committee on fees of state and
county officers has for some time been dis
cussing the problem of fixing the salaries
of county officers. The question presents
itself In very serious and complicated
shape, the conditions in the various
counties being so different that the estab-
Iishnaent OF fixed uniform scale is an
absolute impossibiiity. The constitution.
in section 8. article IL. reverses the fee sys-
tenn that had been in vogue in the territory
for many years. in the following terms:
The legislature shall nx the com pensation be
salaries OF ali county officers and of conssables
in cities having population OF 5000 ana up
wards; except that public administrators. sur
veyors aud coroners may or may not be sslaried
officers.
In section Of the same article ii is de-
elared
The legislature shall
regulate the compensation OF all such o1ficers IN
proportion TO their duties. and for that purpose
msy classify the counties by population And
II shall provide for the strict accountability OF
such officers for all fees which may he collected
BIZ thega and for all public monevs which may
be paid 70 them or officially come into their
possession
II is plain from these two provisions that
county officers shall be salaried. and that
ali fees collected shall be turned into the
county treasury. In its ordinary appiica-
ton this rule will. Of course. be followed
by the joint committees. But il is gener-
ally conceded that no stated salary can be-
fixed for auditors, sherit.s and county
clerks without manifest injustice to these
officers. unless there is q flexible allowance
for expenses and clerk hire. For instance,
in the county of Lewis the salary of the
auditor has been fired by special Law at
81 800. During the past year that officer
has been forced 10 pay out much more
than that sum for clerk hire alone, and II
agaitors' salaries are hxed generally BY
law the same thing is likely TO occur in
every other county in the state Auditors
generally object 20 having the matter OF
allowance for these purposes placed in the
hands OF county cam ulissioners, for the
reason that in case OF disagreement or con-
fict between them and the commissioners.
political or personal. the allowance might
be shut of IL has appeared TO the COM
naifsees, therefore, that an expedient based
uyon the populations OF counties and the
receipts from fees must be adopted in
eases OF auditors, as well as sAerias and
c.erks. Ii has been decided that the Cali
fornla system may DC adopted and the in
tent OF the constitution At the same time
fully complied with.
The California plan is classification by
counties on a basis OF population. for the
CONVERSATION OF auditors ard other Off
GERS. There are there h!sy-two counties
aid forty-eigs.t classes, No being the
county of hignest population and No 4s
that Of tae lowest. In Washington there
are t6lrsy -four counties and there yili
probably Re about thirty classes. King
county. the highest in popuiatscn, being
No. l. The purpose is 10 give tie auditor
Of the county 8 fixed salary, say $500.
ard Is per cent o: the proceeds, for casrS
hsrs. etc The auditor al skaEnAis
county. ws.A 600 population. viii receive
about $50, with the same percentages, and