The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-12-12
FEES AND SALARIES.
Pertinent Suggestions.

! Pertinent Suggestions.
Esw Albany Ledger.
4 There 10 : general sentiment IN this
state In favor Of system 0f salaries Tor
sli the Ofaces. Public opinion when
cobcentrated 10 almost certain 10 accom-
piish its purposs. But the Legislature
will hud II no essy task 10 adopt sAtis-
factory salary Law. The attempt wss
made oDce and proved ~ expenaive
failure. u can be done, but only those
who have had au expcrience 10 state and
county Offices eau frame . measure
which will stand the test. Population
will not servo ss . suffcisnt bssis Tor
fixing The salaries of county oh1cers.
Commerce with the clerks Office, for in
stance. Tho isbors Of : clerk d+pends
largely on the amount Of litigation, &C.
ta,es. marriages. etc., ETC., principally
litigation. In some counties OF equal
population there 10 twice the litigation
In one that there u In the other. In the
same county lhcre may be two or three
tiines % much litigation during one
pesiod OF four years th.t there ID during
smother period Of tour years. In some
counties nearly I'll cases are tried BY
juries and 10 Others by the court. Every
man OF experience can readily realize tho
differepcA ip the labors OF the clerks 10
such couoties. Clark and Floyd county
clerks issue many moro marriage licen.
ees than any other counties Of equal
population. on account Of Kentucky
elopers Border counties have more
criminal cases than interior c0unsies.
Other things might be given showing
the difference Ia Ihe labor aud compen-
sa,ios OF tho clerks 10 differeat counties.
\ In the auditors ofHce the labor de-
Ponds largely upon tbs divisions Of real
estate % we'll ~ population. 4 county
embracing . large number of towns
will give the audiior more work than a
county much larger IN population aud
territory with . sma:ler number Of
towns. For instance, tut ono entry IL
required for Mr.. Jones section OF land,
but II M. Jones' farm 10 divided into
lots II may require several thousand
entries.
The came general facts apply to ths
recorders ofdce, HE emoluments d.
pending not on population alone, but 10
the divjsioDs Of real estate and the &C.
tivity OF the market.
The labor OF the sherif7s Office 10 de.
pendent upon litigation, whether the
trials are by jury or the court, the extent
: ~ territory 10 . county and the location
Of tho county seat. Take two couutiol
cf equal population and the fees OF the
sheriff will amount 10 some cases to foul
fimcs 90 much In the one % IN the other
|, and one perfornis four times the labor
OF the other.
The duties and responsibilities OF tbs
tressurcr are more easilv arrived at, bui
: the labor end consequent pay cannot b.
based on population alone; much de-
: pends upon the wealth OF . county.
Ii il plsin to be seen that there ar(
: many dihicuIties in the way Of hastily
: prepaie cd salary bill, TO do justice to 81
the psople.
, Another meter to be considered 10
who 10 10 collect and pay over 10 th'
county q 'easnrers the fess no y accruina
. 10 The officcrs? u course the of{1cerI
/ shonid do 80, hut when their emolu
| mens~ are not depending upon such col
lections experience has shown that tor
, mrr officers were not very diligeDt Il
) collecting tho SEINE
: The Ledger - not oppoaed to . faiI
fee AID ssiary law, or . salary system
but dUcs not want democratic or any
} other legislature 10 act haatiiy 10 ths
: mstter and enact . hodge-podge Law
} that will work more harm than the pres
} ent system. A toIevsbly long end varied
! experience in county Offices teachel
many Of the dificu,ties in the way Of I
just aud proper salary measure. and leg
islstivs experience will teach close OBJ
server that : hurried session OF siSty
days 10 not slways the best place for |
,lfuIl confederation Of measures into
} which enter 20 many details Of the very
first importance.