New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-10
THE ODIOUS FEE SYSTEM.
IT STILL EXISTS IN THE sHERlFfs or-
FICE
THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD ABOLISH 1T SPEEDILY

| THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD ABOLISH 1T srhhpih'
HANSEN GREATLY EXCITED
The las, remnant or vesttge OF the ice System
| in connection with city department is the o",'.',
auctIoneer privilege which bill was INTRODUCED ln'o
| the Legislature by Mr. Hoops Of the Win DIS
| trict, on Monday night. to abolish AZ one ''"'e
res rlv all pubIic duties In NewYork County were
maid for by fees The standard OF these ices was
| nominaIly fixed by the Legislature put ac'ua"y
nv the incumbents OF the several oIhces VINO ""'
tho right 10 take these fees In lieu OF sta'eo sa
arv-aomewhat on the Turkish satrap system VI
u..,, r,on foe nlaces to favored individuals. the
p.g,sers office for instance. was run on fees Inc
pec,stcr got no stated salary but he charged "
foe for each transfer or conveyance sea'c"' I'M
scrpt or other paper. He employed MS own ~
al bis own figure, and some OF these ce'hs "a'
,ho,r own standard Of fees 1t was So also with inc
County Clerks Office and. to hagran, extent VIZ"
a. cher,n.s office These three places were re-
,ordod among politicians the most lucrative III
New-York city. The Rcgistership was eoou
$50 600 per year to the Register Inc 'ouh.y -
shin was good for $4,000 to the County 'iesN' ~
shnre office was good fer" 100000 for the sh r'H.
An these are Constitutional officers. and the term
OF each is three years. Hence thrifty i..e.a'. '
couId take in Sl50Oo0 during his term; county
Clerk alert to his advantages. N5Oo ana oile'I'
who was not overscrupulous, as much as s'oVV'o' VI
course there large preliminary expenses ~
election All three elective Offices ana 10 SECURE
expend at least the whole Of his first year saa'y
during the old hacyon days Of Tammany.
So long as this condition of affairs existed minic
lpa departments in New-fork were was'eiu''S
and corruptly mismanaged The Mayor oehs
statutory officer has control over a LEICESTER
comfy Clerk or Sheriff, and cannot remove any
one OF them These officials could do pracucaiiy
az they pleased. having only the Legislature anu
the Grand Jury fear Sometimes the l-es'sa.
ure when abuses grew too fragrant wouiu cui'a''
the powers Of county officer At other tunes "he
Grand Jury would find presentment against &C.
unouent But the fact is to be remembered that
during the last twenty-five years there nave pee'
only two Republican Governors In TINS Sta'e-pI'or
n the inauguration Of Governor Morton-anu our-
ing the greater part Of that time there has been
Democratic District Attorney In this county III oose
nol,ical accord with the Tammany county oihcers.
Notwithstanding these barriers to the adoptoh VI
desirable legislation or TO criniihai '''
through the Grand Jury. these departments ha'e
been steadily through the action OF Sepuo'''an'
in the LEGISLATURE, far reformed 'ha' III W
ec.s--,b. Registers and County Clcrks-the Zee
custom has been entirely abolished ana stateu
grade Of salaries and charges has peeh suos''''
| while the Sheriff office has been completely w.
| hau.ed and has been shorn OF some oi It's "''''
| grievous abuses. .s
But one abuse has continued TO flourish thoush
never before with such injury to the Republic III
terest as now-the auctioneer's privilege "hen
public sale OF personal property Is necessary e'"e
| 10 realize on stock. satisfy mortgage pay ueo'
or close a partnership a licensed auctoneer Is en-
cared and he seeks to secure the largest price
nossible for the goods offered. For this service ne
usually receives fee o. 2is per cent on the amount
rea lied and any expenses incurred oy the auC-
tioneer are charged extra. AZ his compensation Is
| made dependent upon the total sum real%eu' II 10
>, his int.res; to get the figures possible and
| , similar rule lust alike debtor and Creditor
ought TO govern one would think. the sales heid
| by law under the official authority OF the Sher"i
Instead OF this however. and instead even OF ethe'
employing one auctoneer for the purpose OF Oh us
,rlbuting the legal sa.es among the icensel auo
,ioneers ~ the city. Tamsen. the ludcrous sAerin
| now in Office. has established Il personal combine
nom the proceeds Of which four German ward pol
sustain themselves al the expense alike OF debtors
aad creditors by having the ONE al sales ~
In their names by designation OF their %
| sen For this service. which is really no seIvice
allfor not being actua auctoneers IN, me 1ul
=, an aIct oreer-5 per cent-ioub.e the usual rate
charged and this brings the ten Of profit to the h
up to high figure. wnen IL IS Sohsue,v wa" - ~
auctioneers privilege Is seneraiy accounted !" -
There has been for some days story floating tint,
| about the city Hall. to the effect that OF the ices
,Se Grst $1,000 goes to the auctioneers themselves
perqyss ior ns use the %t rest goes is not
| told or rather. has not yet been told but IL Is
tho PROPOSED abolition OF the auctioneers privilege,
and presumably. he would not be 80 excited II ~
wholly IN hs eon b sna 3 have charge
| OF H. At a public meeting in the XIIth Assembly
District on tuesday night last Shern Hansen pro
tested against the proposed abolition OF me Zee
| system BY the Republican Lesislat ure iet the
FACT is and on this point lawyers and htigants are
alike agreed the obsolete and corrupting zee sys,
,er1' I'm the Sheriff auction sales must so, ana
| the sooner IL does so the better II Will be.
bill introduced In Albany recently PROVIDES Tor
the abolition OF the ofilce-an ornamental ana super
| fuous one--ot Sherin's counsel This ONCE costs
| The peop.e OF New-Iork. 1900 a year, or SoV d
month FOR duties which lcgitimately pertain TO the
! CORPORATION Counsels office. This bill was intro
| duoed by Assembyman Wilks, and coupled win IL
the proposition raise the salaries or the assist
ant deputy sherifs from $1,000 to $l2oe each There
are twelve OF them and the Increased item or eN-
] pense would be S2,40C-less than half OF the sum
which would be saved by the abolition Of the
Sheriffs counsel. Under ordinary circumstances an
Increase In salaries. however small Is not likely To
meet with much favor from the present Repubncan
LEGISLATURE but In this there Is special reason
FOR IT, The assistant deputies have much travelling
to do and the item OF carfare amounts TO as much
| as s. week or $50 year Heretofore the sheriff
| bill OF expenses included the Item OF mileage and
| 80 this disbursement was repaid. But now, though
mileage continues 10 be charged and collected. 1t Is
paid Into the city treasury, and thus the deputies
obliged to sustain the difference which amounts
10 about much the proposed Increase The
depu,ysherns receive $50" "A year and can afford