The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-30

The county commissioners had a diff
ficult task to perform yesterday. The
new county organization act provides
that the board must fix the salaries of
county officials for their respective
! terms at least three months prior TO the
general election each year Yesterday
was the last meeting at which the
board could take action in the matter
under the law, although County Attor-
ney Whittemore thought the statute on
that point was not mandatory.
The fact, of course, that the commits
sioners are all three candidates for re-
election made the work all the more
delicate. On the one side was arrayed
the taxpayer ard on the other prospec-
tive county officials whose influence any
member of the board would like to
have. Placed thus they probably did
the best thing they could under the
circumstances by establishing the
schedule for the ensuing two years as
it is at present
Roberts made the first move in the
matter by proposing that the schedule
be arranged as at present. 1t met
with no second, Geddes only shaking
his head while a broad, hesitating smile
fitted across the countenance of the
member from Farmers ward as he init
mated that he wanted some time in
which to study the matter.
Mr.. Geddes then offered the following
schedule: Clerk, $4,000 per year; Sher-
if, $3.50; commissioners. $1,4OO: audi
tor, 81, 700; surveyor 81; 200 superintend-
ent Of schools. 81. $50; recorder. $1,000.
Chris still shook his head. Finally he
got out his pencil and prepared j seized
ule, the only change from MIR. Geddes'
being in reducing the commissioners to
1850 and the superintendent of schools
to 81 400 per year.
Then followed pause in the pro-
ceedings, during which some OF the
county officials, including Mr.. White
more, got a chance to impress upon the
members of the board the absolute ne
cessity Of maintaining the salaries as
at present. Their present compensation
was barely enough to "buy shoes for
baby" to say nothing of the RESPONSE
bility attached to the various offices.
Roberts came forward with a com
promise schedule, put il did not meet
with favor, and after some skirmishing
around and many whispered cons'Ilta-
tons, Roberts urged mis- original sched-
ule, and it carried unanimously. Geddes
in voting said: For the sake Of bar-
mony I'll vote aye" Chris said he
wanted everything to go ahead peace
tive, while Roberts. whose name was
called last, said the proposition had al
ready carried and his vote would only
have the effect of making it unani-
nous.
The schedule adopted for the year
1898 is as follows:
Sheriff ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS $1,000
C-erk .-.--..- .'....--.. ..'..-....' Sun
Recorder ......-....- ............. 1000
nj
Superintendent of scnools ........-. 500
commissioners. ....-.--- i,bJO
surveyor ....-..-..- --..-.-..-...-- I,zVo
Among the claims allowed was one of
$28 for revising certain records. There
is an interesting story N connection
with this that will Illustrate the man
ner in which Charlie Stanton has been
conducting his Office. Mr.. Stanton ap-
peared before the board at a recent
meeting and asked that $3.50 be appro-
Lr1ated for the purpose Of doing the
very same work thai Auditor Fisher
did with two men in three and half
days at 81 per day. In former years
appropriations amounting to hundreds
of dollars have been made for such
work just in the same manner as Char
lie wanted it done this year, and now
the question is, where has the money
gone to?
Mr.. Stanton appeared before the meet
ing and asked that he be permitted TO
employ an extra clerk at salary not
to exceed $40 per month from Septem-
Der 1, and this was granted.
County Collector Spencer was also
authorized to engage three extra clerks
to assist him during the busy season.
The claim of $3.50 for constructing the
Thiede scaffold was temporarily re-
jected. The majority of the members
of the board considered the ainouDr ex-
orbitant and as the different items were
not itemized as they should be- the
claim was laid over for another week.
A resolution introduced by Roberts
was passed, fixing the precincts for the
election of constables and Justices Of
the peace the same as at present This
does away with the belief that unGer
the new law the county would have
eighty-seven Justices and constahles.
The declination of John BruntCn to
serve as registration ag mt of precinct
No. 81 was accepted and John Butler
appointed to fill the vacancy.
The contract and bond with Willard
& Stewart for the construction Of a
bridge across Jordan river at Crescent
were approved. The contract calls for
the completion of the bridge not later
than October 10.
The board then took an adjournment
until tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock.
when the election booth question will
be considered. No word has yet been
received from the Buffalo Steel House
company as to whether the contract for
250 booths awarded at the last meeting
has been accepted.