St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-30
SHOULD BE PLACED ON SALARY
LEWIS THINKS A
GOOD COMMITTEE SHOULD IN
VESTIGATE AFFAIRS.
AGREE SOMETHING is NEEDED.
Judge Lusk Declines to Express m
Opinion on the Needs of County
Retrenchment.


county officials, especially the clerk of
courts, sheriff and register of deeds,
has interested large number of citi-
zens, particularly those whose business
brings them frequently into touch with
municipal and county affairs. When
the Parker retrenchment committee
was in session last November it was
suggested that the investigation extend
to an examination of the county Off
Gals, but as the committee was a crea-
ton of the common council, it was linn
tied in the prosecution of it's inquiries to
the municipal departments, and there
fore had no authority to even invite the
county officials to appear and disclose.
But during the course of the inves-
ugation county affairs were freely dis
cussed, with the result that the COM
mittee, in its report, recommended GER
tain reforms which involved changes
In the present administration of some
OF the county offices. 1t was the gen
eral sense of the committee, though this
was not expressed in the report, that
there was need Of radical reform in the
county departments. which reform could
only be effected by legislative action.
bers of the retrenchment commmittee,
whose attention was called to the ex-
travagant administration of county af-
fairs, said yesterday:
1T seems to me that a committee sim
liar in character to that which investi-
gated municipal affairs ought TO be
created to look into the administration
Of the county offices. 1t should be
iCyEa ~ =
~ representative men, whose requests
for information would meet with the
ready response of the county officials.
A committee, composed of men whose
opinions do not carry the weight that
attaches to the utterances of such citi-
zens as Col. Clough, Capt. Castle and
Gen. Sanborn, might be ignored by the
county officials. There is unquestiona-
bly, room and need for a reduction of
county expenses. L have not given the
subject minute consideration, and am
not prepared to enter into details, but
as a general proposition, L believe that
all the county officials ought to be put
upon the salary basis. The salaries
should be reasonable and commensurate
with the prevailing financial condition.
If the fees exceed the expenses of the
Office, the county will profit by the eX-
cess"
Referring to the office of the clerk
of courts, Mr.. Lewis expressed the
. opinion that that Office ought to
adopt the cash basis in the matter of
fees. Instead of extending credit to
attorneys for the payment of fees, and
thereby losing a good sum every year,
cash should be insisted upon. This
plan would not only largely increase
the revenue, but materially relieve the
attorneys who pay cash.
Aid. Markham, who also served on
the retrenchment committee, agreed
with Mr.. Lewis as to the necessity of
retrenchment in the county admins
tration, but differed as to the method.
II do not believe in adopting the
salary plan," said Aid. Markham, and
relying upon the fees to support the
office and perhaps yield a profit. 1t
seems to me that it is contrary to the
spirit of our institutions to conduct
any government with q view TO realiZ-
ing a profit out of the people. My
idea is that the fee system should
be retained, but the fees themselves
ought to be reduced to such a point
that they will render the various
county offices self-sustaining, but no
more. For any reform in the county
government, and reform is certainly
needed there, assuming that the state
ments of the G o b e are correct, we
must look to the legislature. 1t is
the duty of every citizen of Ramsey
county to do his utmost to secure the
nomination of men who will look after
the interests of the people instead of
themselves. An anomalous condition
of affairs has heretofore prevailed in
this city and county in the selection OF
men who have represented us in the
state legislature. This was forcibly
illustrated at the capitol last winter.
Yes, 1 believe the county authorities
would do we'll to appoint a committee
to investigate county affairs along the
line pursued by the retrenchment COM
mittee in looking into the conduct of
municipal government"
Gen. SanbOrn, when seen, said: THE
question of getting fees for the offices
Of clerk of the court, sheriff and regis
ter of deeds down to a reasonable ba-
sis has been agitated in almost every
legislature that has met for years but
with the great diversity of opinions
and the influence of those interested,
the disposition of the members to trade
and barter back and forth, the result
has always been that the Officeholders
come out ahead. ] have always main
tanned that these should be fee Offices
and should have no relation whatever
with the public treasury. Some peo-
pie think the officers should be put on
salary, and the fees turned into the
treasury but this is mistake. Every
person who does business in the courts
or takes a deed to the registers Office
to be recorded should pay for the serv-
ice, but only what it is reasonably
worth He should not be charged
more than it is worth, and have the
surplus turned into the treasury. These
offices should not be made a source OF
revenue.
'The question is, as I have said. to
get the fees down to a reasonable fig
ure. and let them run as now Why
If these officers were placed on a mod
crate salary. they would manage to
use up all the income in some way.
anyhow, so that nothing would be paid
into the treasury There should be
a consolidation of the county and city
governments Just as soon as Dossibla
7 am satisfied that 800, 900 q wear could
be saved by such a combination of Off
Gals. OF course. some of the Offices
cannot be consolidated but all those
than can should be. Our county and
city government ought to cost from
half a million TO a million dollars a
year less than 1t does for the next few
wears If we could lust inaugurate
a change so as to effect this saving
We would come ont alI right. OF course.
we cannot revolutioniZe in a day n
system we have been FORTY years build
ing ND. but we must keen working to-
wards it. and that just as rapidly as
possible"
AssembIyman J. J. Parker said: CAS-
euming that the figures given by the
Globe are correct. some of the in
comes are certainly exorbitant. I IA
vor the consolidation of the county
and city governments, as recommended
in the report of the retrenchment COM
mittee. and the offices that cannot he
Of: do tad ch no