The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-23
s1LANIEs OF COUNTY OTFICIALs.

Tho Farmers alliance mems bust.
ness. The recent election demonstrated
tho strength OF tho movement in a way
that 1t is not too much 10 believe sur.
prissd even it's promoters, and their sub
scquent action proves without a doubt
that they mean to make their influence
q power in tho land. Their most recent
action will cur an amount Of support
from moderate mon OF all parties. In
some OF the states which have ranged
themselves under the alliance banner,
meetings have beer held under the
auspices Of that body to protest against
the extravagant s~nlaries that are some.
times paid to county officials and against
tho foe system in toto. The alliance
would reduce the salaries Of county
officials to q maximum Of $1,000 per
annum and, as we have said, abolish the
foe system altogether.
On the ACCESSIBILITY Of the latter
change there will be little controversy.
Payment by fee is almost Of necessity
unjust. There are certainly very few
instances in which that method produces
satisfactory results for all concerned.
The official who is receiving $4,000 to
$4,000 per annum for the performance
Of county work is draining the pockets
Of the ratepayers and rendering them
very unsatisfactory compensation for
that amount Of money. We do not mean
that his work is Of necessity faulty in
the slightest degree, but what we assert
is that the sums we have spoken OF are
a ridiculous figure for such work, how
eve we'll it may he done. In the oppo.
site extreme, there is no slight tempta-
ton to tampering with public funds,
when the compensation is thoroughly
inadequate for the duties that have to
be performed. 1t is almost an inevi-
table result OF such failure to meet the
responsibilities Of an office that the men
who are willing to undertake it's duties
are unfit for the position.
Any attempt, however, to fix an iron
clad maximum salary, whether $1,000
per annum or any other sum, is utterly
out Of the question. The payment OF
every workman ought to depend upon
the amount of work he has to perform
and the responsibility it entails. II
would not be consistent, for example,
that the county clerk OF Meagher should
receive the same salary as the county
clerk of Lewis and Clarke, with much
heavier duties to perform and greater
responsibility attaching to his Office.
The alliance would do we'll to reconsider
this part of their schedule. 1t is all
right to abolish the fee system with its
lottery chances, and it is all right to do
away with exorbitant salaries. But we
cannot afford TO be penny-wise and
pound foolish. We want our public
work we'll done, and we must pay for it.
We do not wish men to make a fortune
out Of two terms Of office, but we must
have q salary high enough to attract the
right man to the right place. What we
need is q sliding scale OF salaries for our
county officials. We might take for a
base the rateable value and the popula
ton Of each county, and by making our
estimates on this plan, we should secure
just and equitable payment for the labor
our county officials have to do and the
responsibility they have to bear, and at
the same time we should raise the
standard OF our Office holders.