The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-12-28
ARE NO BONANZAS NOW.
Under the New Fee and Sala ry
Law
Which Goes Into Effect Janu-
airy 10 in Shawnee Co.,
County Officers VIII Not Receive the
Large Pay That Some of Them
Have Heretofore.

The new fee and salary law which
goes into effect a week from next Mon
day, will effect nearly every county Of
fcer in Shawnee county and for that
matter in the whole state.
Under the old law the county treas
urer was paid $4,000 per annum and out
of that he is compelled to pay his own
clerks. 1t has been necessary to en-
ploy so many clerks in Shawnee coun-
ty that it left the treasurer but little
of his salary and the office has been
considered a poor one. Under the new
law the treasurer will receive 81, 500 per
annum and be allowed in addition 81 900
for clerk hire. He is allowed fees I'M
der the old law but they have never
amounted to much in the aggregate.
Under the new law all fees collected
Will be turned into the county treasury.
The county clerk who has received
81, 400 per annum under the old law will
get 81, 600 under the law which goes into
effect on January 10. He may be al
lowed clerk hire amounting to 81, 000
He has also received fees for filing of
papers and making tax deeds. Under
the new law all these fees will be turn
ed into the county treasury.
The salary of the county attorney is
reduced to $500 from $4,000. But one
OF his large sources of revenue is de-
strOyed entirely. He must turn all fees
into the county treasury. The present
county attorney employs two deputies
WIZ are pau out Oh the lees maze Dy
them. Under the new order Of things
the commissioners may allow the cOun-
ty attorney $500 for deputies or they
may allow him nothing.
The district clerk who is now PAD
wholly in fees and whose office has
been worth a small fortune for the
term, will receive a salary of 81, 200, but
he Will be allowed half the fees collect
ed in excess of that sum. The clerk
might still make a good thing out of
the office if it were not for the fact that
the new law makes a large reduction
in the fees. 1t is doubtful il he VIII re-
ceive much more than the 50, 200.
The sheriff fares better than the dis
trict clerk. His office has been consid-
cred bonanza for several years and
conservative men place the amount
earned per annum in the Sheriff's office
at $4,000. The new law will allow him
all the fees up to $500 and if any fees
are collected in excess of that amount
one-third of them must be turned into
the county treasury. He is allowed to
keep two-thirds. The allowance of 40
cents per day for boarding prisoners is
allowed to remain the same unless the
daily average of prisoners shall be
more than 20, when it is reduced to 35
cents per day. This allowance for
feeding prisoners is not figured in with
the fees. The fees allowed the sheriff
are reduced about one-third. The law
is probably more favorable to the Sher-
if than to any other officer and his Of
flee may still be considered something
of a snap
1nGIe mas Deen no limit TO the ices
collected by the probate judge. He put
them all in his pocket under the old
law, but under the new law he will go
to salary basis like the rest. Probate
Judge DOlman figures that the office is
worth under existing conditions about
$4,000 per annum. Under the new law
he will be allowed 81, 400 in fees and aft
er they exceed that amount he must
divide with the county, turning half of
them into the treasury. But as in the
cases of other officers the fees are
slashed some so that he will probably
earn little if any more than the 81 400.
The register of deeds will suffer
greatly so far as his compensation is
concerned He is allowed to keep the
fees until they amount to 81, 200 and
after that he must divide half and half
with the county. His fees too suffer a
reduction.
ent will remain at 81, 200, but the cOun-
ty commissioners may take away 5000
of it if they choose.
The county commissioners are the
only officers who will draw more salary
under the new law Their allowance
heretofore has been $500 per annum
and under the new law they will re-
ceive $500.
The salary of the court stenographer
is fixed at $3.50 per annum and he will
be allowed five cents a folio for trans
cribing evidence.
The pay of the coroner and surveyor
will not be affected by the new law.
Neither of these offices are remunera-
inducement to the office seeker.
The fees in the justice courts will be
about half what they are under the
present law.
The figures given above apply only to
counties having a population of over
$4,000. In other counties with less pop
ulatiOn the reductions are about the
same in proportion.