West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-01-31
ABOUT COUNTY OFFICES.
THE SALARY AND FEES THEREOF
interesting Interview With Sheriff
Leroy Shaw ia Regard 10
His Oa,ee.

] cueeiou gong on among the pollti-
Clans relative to the merits and de.
merits Of the bill now before the
Legislature which provides for the
abolition Of the fee system OF coun-
" officers, and instead allow them
a stated salary. The bill is not re
ceived favorably by the Office
holders. The ARGUS rer orter drop.
ped in to see Sheriff Shaw and learn
his views. In answer to the uues-
ton AS to what he thought of the
new bill, the Sheriff said:
81 cannot definitely answer that
question, as we have but synopsis
OF the bill. but from the knowledge
OF the bill. would say that it
woe;d entirely destroy the Office Of
Sheriff OF Preston county. Our
comfy being much larger than the
majority Of the counties, it necessi.
tates the employment OF numerous
deputies ~ An expense far in excess
OF the salary contemplated in this
bill. To illustrate the point I dc.
sire to make, l would mention the
county Of clarion, which is one of
the favored counties in the proposed
bill. For instances. Marion county.
which has about double the assessor
bic property that we have here, has
not half the territory and about the
same population. according to the
recent census. It will be evident 10
| the most casual observer that undcr
such circumstances 1t would be
more expensive to collect the taxes
OF Preston than Marion, still tins
OIL proposes to pay Marion two
thousand dollars and Preston but
one thousand per pear. Thls is not
justice nor equitable"
ct Is the prevalent opinion of
many tia; "a public Office is pri-
waite snap and the people are very
much inclined to receive the rev
bill with favor. Take the Office of
Sheriff, which you are thoroughly
familiar with by this time. 1t is
common belief that this office is
worth from five to fifteen thousand
do!lais per year"
81 should say that if the Sheriff
CT this county was to receive the
full Quota. which the Statutes pro-
vide for, the Office would pay about
two thousand five hundred pgr
year, but owing to lie law in regard
to the Sbcrllf's fees being largely
discretionary with orr County
Coart. 1t does not pay So 500. TO
make this poiat clear we Will quote
the Statute, which reads, 'for wait
ing upon the County and Circuit
Courts in their sessions and acino
as JanitOr OF the Court House. the
law provides for fee not to exceed
I $3.50. Under this Statute the
County Court allows me 500. I'm
der another Statute for compensn.
ton for services. not Otherwise pro-
vIded for by fees, which is the State
work, the law provides tn 1t the
County Court may allow the Sher-
III sum not exceeding $500. The
Court allows me 5000.
care we to understand that the
Office is not the sinecure which it.
has been represented in the past 20
"Most emphatically, No."
"Why Z"
'For the reason that during the
old County Co irts time, which was
pr or 10 the law increasing the iur
isdiction Of justices of the Peace.
the Court tried ali the minor civil
cases, which is disposed OF by the
justices under our present Statutes.
thas taking from the Sheriff very
lrg, per cent Of the civil work and
placing it into the hands of the
C'nstablcs. This has bceu qnite
damaging to the Sheriff. rs it is ad
miticd on all sides hat there is NO
money for u Sheriff in criminal
cases. The civil docket was con.
siderable source Of revenue to the
Sheriff in the execution Of claims
and the collection thereof In this
connection | would say. that this
effects the Clerk Of tic Circuit
Court in the same manner"
"ls there any other source Of
revenue that has been lost TO the
Sheriff by recent legislation ?'
Eyes, sir. IN former years the
Sheriff Of this county was restored
by The County Court tho p per
H.. 81.