The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-27
FEES AND SALARIES.
The Senate Prepares a Substitute
for Ballinger's Bill.
CONFERENCE TO SETTLE

COunt1es-SOme Senators Still Will
ing That the People he PIundered. J
The senate substitute for the Ballinger
fees and salaries bill, passed the senate
last evening at $50 by vote of 26 to 4.
The bill met with a great deal of siren
uous opposition and several senators
voted for it under protest, hoping that q
conference committee which will inevi-
tably result, may correct some of its
faults. Senator Sterne voted against the
bill
A detailed description of the bill would
occupy more than a column of space
Briefly stated the bill puts all the more
important county officers except probate
judge on a salary instead of fees. These
salaries are made to vary according to
the size of the county. In a county the
size of Shawnee. the fees would be:
Sheriff. 81 500 year and mileage Of
five cents a mile; clerk of the district
court. $780,; Treasurer $1,000; county
clerk 1900; register of deeds, $1,000;
county attorney, $1,000; probate judge,
present rate of fees reduced so per cent.
The item of county treasurer was one
of the most strongly opposed. Regard
ing this Senator Sterne made a speech in
which he said: 1.-THE treasurer must give
100000 bond and is responsible for
every cent of the county's funds. Under
the circumstances l think he is entitled
to bigger salary than 1000 a year.
The people of Shawnee county do not
ask for this change, and l doubt if the
people of Wyandotte county dc. The
people want reform in the matter of fees,
but this bill as it is, is an absolute ab-
surdity."
Senator Jumper replied: 1.-THE bonds
men are responsible for all the money
ard the clerks do the work. If people
get paid for responsibility why not give
the bOndsmen a salary instead of the
treasurer? The officers are largely figure
heads anyhow
Senator Taylor said, "High salaries are
not necessary for good service. In Kan
sas City we have found high salaries IN
desirable. It makes an inducement for
the big rascals to get into office. We
! pay $4,000 year for county attorney
and we couldn't have had a worse one at
1000 a year"
Senator McTaggart was greeted with
applause when he said, 81 do not always
agree with the gentleman from Wyan-
dotte but do in this case"
Senator Scott said there had to be some
inducement in county Office to tempt
a man to drop his private affairs to ac-
cept them. In reply to a question he as
serted that there are not 100 men in AL
len county who would accept office IN
der the new scale of salaries.
Senator Lands, "The original Bal
Iinger bill was full of glazing Unequal
tiles which this substitute remedies to a
large degree. This bill would do much
to do away with the lavish spending of
money in county politics"
Senator Brown raised the point that
sit is unjust to regulate the salary &C
cording to the population of the county.
Take the county clerks for instance.
They must make up tax rolls and do
practically the same class of work and
just as much of it as in Shawnee county,
| Senator Dennison said, ''The Ballinger
bill corrected no abuses. This bill is a
solution of the whole fee question. Sal
aries are what we want"
Senator Parker accused those favoring
the bill of talking for the benefit of the
newspapers. 81 have no cheap noteriety
to gain" he said, Shy voting for this bill
1t discriminates against the small coun-
ties in favor of the large ones. If put to
vote it would not pass any county in
| the state"
Senator True said the matter of county
treasurer was not 30 much "who can
| give bonds?" as "who can get votes?'
Senators Thacher and Reid also spoke in
| favor of the bill.
Senator SCOTS amendment to increase
all the salaries named in the bill 40 pei
cent, was defeated by a vote of ~ ayes
to "a noes. Those voting for the amend
ment were: Senators Brown, Carpenter
Banner, billiard, Metcalf, Morgan
O'Bryan, Parker, Sterne, True and Viii
Hanson.
The bill was put through close scru-
tiny, and amended largely in details
The whole afternoon session from z
o'clock to $3.50, was taken up with this
bill. 1t finally passed by this vote:
Ayes-Armstrong Baldwin, Bowling
Brown, Cooke, Dennison, billiard, Dunn
bauld, Helm, Helmick, Householder
Jumper, King, Lands, Leeds, Leedy
Reid, Reilly, Rogers. Sem, Shearer
Smith, Taylor, Thacher, True, William
son-26.
Noes-Metcalf, Scott, sterne and vii
hanson
Regarding the fate of the bill it nigh
be said that it ought to pass the house, a
least in an amended form, but probably
will not. A conference committee ovel
the bill is probable, and as there remains
only three days more in the session onl.
the greatest vigilance on the part of it
friends will prevent its getting lost in thu
grand rush at the last day.