The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-12-18
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Judge Hufford Discusses Coun.
ty Affairs and Makes Some
Pertinent Deductions.

Taxpayers are expecting useful
Legislation from the approaching
session of Oregon law makers
Various matters that that body i.
expected to act upon are bein
generally discussed by our citizens
and the ruling principle every
where is economy. Benton coun'
ty people are anxious for some
kind OF legislation that will as
sist the county court in wiping
out the heavy debt that hangs
over the county. Judge Huford
was interviewed by GAZETTE
representative this week and ask
ed to state his views concerning
needed legislation.
Judge Hufford has been consid-
ering several measures that will
enable the court to manage more
economically the affairs of the
county. He realizes clearly the
desirability and even necessity ol
devising some method of keeping
the expenditures below the re-
ceipts in order that the debt may
be wiped out and Benton county
paper once more circulate at
par.
Judge Huford said that the ar
ticle in last weeks GAZETTE con-
cerning the salary system was
quite correct. The change from
the lee to the salary system has
resulted in financial loss to the
county. ''The old SYSTEM" he
said, with some important revi-
sions TO meet present conditions,
would be a decided improvement
in tiie matter of economy and in
giyi>g general satisfaction over
the Ireacnt salary system. The
loss to the county under the opera
alton of the present plan is not less
than $500 annually and may ex-
ceed $4,000. Undera fee system
| the recorders Office would be oi
no expense to the county, and the
work performed for the county by
the sheriff and clerk would proba-
bly, not amount to more than 500
per month or $1,000 per year. OF
course, I understand that the ex
penses of these two offices amount.
ed to considerable more than ST..
200 annually when we were oper.
ating under the fee system years
ago, but at that time Benton coun.
ty extended to the coast and mile.
age was big item in the sheriff.
account, and besides, in those days
there was vast amount more
work for the officers to perform
than there is at present. Under
the fee system the cost of litiga-
tion was borne by the litigants
themselves and the officers were
paid for the actual service perform
ed. Perhaps the best measure al
present would he revision of the
salary law along economical lines
,andsgiving each county. court the
option of adopting the fee system
In the latter case the county court
should make an order to that ef.
feet at the beginning of the fiscal
year preceding a general election.
This order should be. published in
time to give candidates for the
various offices ample notice.
ssTaxes should be collected by
the county treasurer and his sala-
ry should be slightly increased to
compensate him for the addition
al labor. The time for turning
the delinquent roll over to the
sheriff for collection sh ,uld be fix.
ed by statute and the rolls would
then be cleaned up every year.
The statute ought also to provide
for the calling in of warrants
whenever the county has on hands
say $1,000. Such a course
would help materially in lessen
ing the interest ACCOUNT
/ Judge HuAord makes some sug-
gestions relative to assessment
laws that will commend them
selves to every practical man.
He believes that the tax rolls
should describe property only by
reference to the county records,
giving book and page. This plan
would not only save the county
considerable money in the matter
of labor, but would prevent errors
in descriptions, which, in a great
number of instances, have pre-.
vented the county from collecting
the taxes. The sheriff, in adver.
tising the delinquent: list should
take the descriptions from the rec
ords, Judge Hdfford. prepared a
bill along this line two years
ago. ~.
Judge Huford says that in dis
cussing the county's. debt, il
should be borne in mind that a
considerable leakage is necessari.
ly caused by the law which makes
the county pay interest on taxes
due the state after the 1st oil
March. II is often late in Febru
ary before the state levy is made
and frequently it happens that the
clerk is unable to make the ex-
tensions ON the roll and get 1t
turned over to the sheriff for col
lection until late in March, and
the county is unable to remit the