The morning call., 1895-01-03
STOOD THE TEST.
Work of County Officers
Under the New Law.
Business Transacted Within the
Hours and No Arms Dis
located.

The revolution In the matter of paying fees
for services of the city and county officers has
been entered upon, passed Its initial trial and
the country is still safe.
To be sure there was all the inconvenience
which has been promised for 1t, and even a
little more, and the Inconvenience has gone
forward with an aeeomp animent of carelessly
selected variety of profanity, rendered with
StaccatO emphasis.
But that was doubtless anticipated by the
trainers of The bill, and therefore there is no
surprise on that score. The interesting ques-
lion is Does 1t reach the intended purpose d?
But i is TOO early TO answer the question.
However, all the work at the hall was acc ON
pished by the clerks previously engaged there
except the addition OF two to the Treasurer
force, aud that knocks out one OF the aTgu-
ments moSI loudly offered against Ii. To be
sure it kept the clerks and deputies rusIling
somewhat more than usual, and for this they
addeu their quota OF strange oaths and de-
clared that though light day they had worked
harder than usual. and forecast the horrors of
a day when there should come a rush.
The general complaint was that the success
sive numb eTlnR OF the receipts In the order Of
their issuance neceSsitated The use Of but on g
book for all The work and therefore but one
clerk could do the work. This was considered
tough on the one clerk and an immense relief
TO all the others, while the slow process incl.
dent to II made the public-that is, the lawyers.
litigantS, etc-the special sufferers.
Attorney W. ii. JORDAN, 6X-Speak6r OF the
Assembly, stated his experience with the new
order in terse terms. He had three cases set
tied by default In the courts in three minutes
and it cost him just one hour and ten minutes
to get through the routine of paying the costs.
Alexander Tscneinen with his fancee drove
up TO a Larkln-street entrance OF the City Hail
on their way TO ST. BoDiface Church to be mar
ried, and there they sat and walled In the car.
rage for nearly an hour. while their b-st man
hustled back and forth through the magnificent
distances and flights of stairs between the
Treasurer's office and that of Cupid Haley.
The work required by the new fee bill fell
heaviest upon the County Clerks and thu Re-
cOrders deputies. Only eleven certificates
were issued in the entire day by the Sherif's
office, :.
Fees were turned In for work done in the
County Clerks Office in the sum of S227; in the
Recorders Office, 1924; in the CLERKS Office of
the Justices court. $50; in the Sheriff's office,
S48 rs; in the Auditors Office, 81. The only
fee collected by the Auditor is the issuance of
a certificate OF redempton-of real estate pur-
chased by the State, and this has always gone
in the special fee fund OF the treasury. The
total fee business OF The hall yesterday was
therefore, S561 70.
G. II. Ferry, ex-State Senator. took out
a writ OF mandate before Judge Hebbard to
compel Justices Court Clerk Williams to ac-
cepJ his fees in certain suit. Williams filed
bis answer, pleading the statute, and the mat
ter will be argued before Judge Slack next
Monday afternoon.
Auditor Broderick had but a few of the re-
ceipts printed, in order TO give the form test,
and some OF their shortcomings will be cor
rected In the next order.
The next difficulty in The fee line will be the
going into effect of what Is known as the county
government act, prepared by Justices Court
Clerk Williams. 1t provides that certain fees
shall be paid ITO the County Clerk" and as It
passed later than the fee bill the claim Will be
set up that it repeats the fee Dill IN so far as It
applies 10 these fees. 1t fixes graduated scale
upon the probate Of estates, and MIR. Williams,
who knows as much anybody about these
things, says that it will be worth TO the city at
least $4,000 ayear.