The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-21
SPENCER'S FEE BILL.
County Clerks Idea Of Proper
Compensation.
20 COVER cosT OF THE OFFICE.
Qpposed 70 the LUMP Sum" system
81 Paying Preliminary Costs-Let-
ter TO eenator Forrest.

the present system of charging and collect
Ing clerks fees in the superior court are
sought to be remedied by bill sent by
Clerk w. b. Spencer to the legislature.
The following letter written by Mr.. Spen-
Ger and sent to Senator Forrest with the
bill, explains the situation fully:
hand you herewith . copy of the fee list,
which have this day mailed Senator Kinnear,
ASKING him to confer with Senator Dyer, and
scnting this fee bin as a substitute for the bill
presented by Senator Dyer, which as / under
stand has been torn to pieces and a very small
therefore should think Senator Dyer should be
quite willing TO assist in putting this bill before
the Senate In proper light have given this
down 70 the very lowest amount possible to re-
cefye Z suficient revenue to pay the labor bill
of the clerks ONCE and give service to the pa
iron: Of the courts that would be anything like
am very sure that this bill win give more
general satisfaction than the "Iump sum" bill
Large corporations and others continually lit til
eating on same basis with those that settle their
troubles with very little expense to the county,
which naturally would place premium upon
che large iitigsnts at the expense OF those less
able to stand litigation, while 1t actually should
Be the reverse.
and 4 great many Of the members Of the bar
practicing before this court examine this bill,
and they Invariably express themselves as being
very reasonable fee list and should meet witt,
no opposition whatever"
What seems to have brought about this "lump
sum proposition . was to avoid paying in adj
vided by the present fee law. which you will
note is overcome by the clause providing for
Cy gs nnt ana
A you are aware, / have had considerable ex-
periencc In managing clerical forces, and will
wfll work Z hardship in the clerks Office aud
upon all persons transacting business with the
clerks Office, for in case il Is reduced the reve-
nuc will not meet the labor expense alone of the
Qftee, and naturally the county commissioners
viii cut the amount OF salary or the number of
employees which would result in poor service,
either from overworked employees or through in
had hoped In leaving the employ of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company and coming
oysr among my friends, | would not again be
pciled to put up with half paid employees and
crowd the very life out of them to be able to
keep the work in anything like satisfactory
shape and trust that 1t is not the sense of this
Legislature to place tho county officers in any
such predfcament.
Kindly DO what You can to secure the passage
better satisfaction to all interested than any
for this bill il based upon the amount Of service
! find in going through the records that nearly
half the cases that come before this court UNI
der the present fee law are disposed of and the
clerk fees, not exceeding more than s. and
often dismissed with charges not exceeding
&S25, while In the remaining cases the clerk fees
run al the way from $40 to $3.50, and surely you
shat would place man who has received a $3.e5
service on the same basis with and cause him
to pay the same amount as the
and again under the present fee law, during the
month OF January, the employees of this Office
earned and collected but $3.50 more than their
very mail margin especay Mssn noa
consider that the commissioners paid out some
thing over $500 for stationery, say nothing of
(not mentioning the judges salariesj during the
same period. Would It not be well to consider
carefully who should pay all these expenses the
taxpayer who attends to his affairs carefully and
avoids litigation or those who make a business
OF placing irregularities IN the way and cter-
nally litigating
premium upon non iitigants who give their bus
1nees careful attention and tax upon litigants,
and in this way reduce the expense OF the
1t might be well to mention here that the fee
bill mail you herewith is figured upon the
labor expense OF the Office only, aud nothing
SOr books, stationery, light and fuel or jury ex-
pense, and trust that 1t will receive careful con
uidertton by you, and that you will work for
1u becoming q law. This or any other fee bill
the other since NV salary y sed bv sn od
MT shs,vaafio d,rir~ +h,. tnr,, y. - ,,; .u
",sver ss;iI cav 81, ;tarastaS -, "a t,s
$3.50 d,,,, soy th Az ,.L snas
S~avs sstiss.ctssr ssrvsca sd S -. "ee re-
Gcs Nth the scyrv;cc ren @ thar sn
s.ss,,ia ,,at - a. tha a,,a,t s.s " aAe
sssssrs rs;a o,ra,i, ss VI o'ei"olAeu VI
s >sriss r.. ..arsa L. ar
superior court business are as follows:
Fur filing complaint, petition, plea, demur-
rer, affidavit, exhibit or any other paper
in each cause, each ...................S 10
For issuing capias, attachment, execution,
Information, mandate, writ of error or
replcyin or any other original writ, each 1 90
For entering appearance of either party,
personally or by attorney, charged but
once. ..........: neutrality-suspicious.. 25
Tor docketing each case, to be charged but
:, once ........;:.. 25
For entering return on any writ ........... -
For docketing appeals from justice OF peace
court. neutrality-suspicious.. 15O
For writs for each special venire for iury
charged In each cause tried. ............. 90
For swearing witnesses, each. ...... Is
For receiving panel and swearing iury Is
For entering claim Of each witness for his
For entering Judgment. recoeuizance. spe
cial rule, continuance, discontinuance.
retraxit rule of reference, allowance of
writ Oh napeas corpus, confession oil ludg-
,1 VI uvauIs - " ,.n rue VI pea
INC t;rst fof,n- or loss P'sAne oo'i'' ih0Aoa so
Recording each additional folio. . On
For taxing costs. d. ................... SO
For entering satisfaction. .................. 30
FOR entering surrcncer OF principal by bail,
cionelssor canee a.i oai, o3nu, alscnaIge
snit rennr, ~ ~ seres ;uarr,ant 'y,, n a,r
issue al law or facts or on fenort Of referee
appeals from inferior court. appeals to
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