Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-23
INCREASED SALARIES
To be the Boon of the Newly Elected
County officials.
NOW EQUALS WITH PHILADELPHIA.
Four Gentlemen Will Accept, Without
Hesitation, $4,000.
YESTERDAY IN THE COUNTY COURTS

On Monday, January 8, the newly-elected
county officers will take the oath and with
the change will come numerous increases in
the salary list. By the time the entire
change is made the amount of the increase
will be SSS, 500.
Under the acts of Assembly and decisions
OF the Supreme Court, the new officers will
receive the same salaries as paid in Phila-
delphia or a county of the first class. The
census of 1890 will place Allegheny county
in the first class as its population is shown
to be over 500, 900. This means large in
crease in the salaries of most of the officers.
The officers who are now serving, however,
will not get the benefit of the census during
their present terms. as the Supreme Court
has decided that the salary of a public
officer cannot be changed during his term of
Office.
SALARIES FIXED BY LAW.
The act of June Is, 1888, fixes the salaries
of officers of counties of population OF
soc, 900 or more as follows: District Attor-
ney, $4,000 per year; three assistants to
District Attorney at $1,000, $4,000 and
So, 900 respectively; Coroner, $1,000; dep
uty Coroner, $500; Prothonotary $40, 600;
Clerk of Courts, 5000; Recorder of Deeds.
$40. 900; Register of Wills, $1,000; Treasurer,
$4,000; County Commissioners, S5,ooO;
Controller, $1,000; Sheriff, $4,000.
The new officers who will get the increased
salaries and the present salaries paid are:
Sheriff, present salary, $4,000; Clerk of
Courts, present salary, $4,000; Recorder,
present salary, $1,000; Register, present
salary, $4,000; Treasurer, present salary,
sc, 900; Commissioners, present salary,
s.. 500; Controller, present salary, $4 500.
The Prothonotary, Coroner and District
Attorney do not get the advance, though
their successors will. They are prevented
from claiming it by holding that the county
had 800, 900 of population when they went
into office, by the decision of the Supreme
Court In 1885. 1t held that for the purpose
of the classification of counties under the sal
ary acts, the United States decennial census
is the sole test of population.
GRADED BY THE CENSUS.
The population at any intermediate time
cannot be proved, but each county must re-
main in the class in which the last census
found it until it is transferred to another
class by subsequent census.
Another decision by the Supreme Court,
in 1888, on Luzerne county case, bears on
the subject and gives the new officers the
right to claim the increased salaries. 1t
holds that where county officer claims to be
entitled to compensation by salary under
the provisions of the act of Assembly it
must be made to appear that the number of
inhabitants in the county at the time the
officer entered on his duties, entitled the
county to be classed under said act as a
county in which such salary is payable.
81 The increased salaries of the county
officials, when all have obtained it, will
aggregate SS9. 800. The present salaries
amount to $51, 900, difference, caused by
the census, OF S3S, 900 year.