The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-01-27
That Official Salary Business.

EDITOR HERALD:-Tne many a. pay
ers of the county will no doubt be inter-
ested in a statement Of facts in relation
to the salaries of the county officers, /. G.
County Clerk, Treasurer and Attorney.
The section of law (page 1s0, Sec. GO
Session Laws 1897 by which it is claimed
that the higher salaries should be paid,
has been printed SO often in our county
papers that every reader is. no doubt,
familiar with its provisions. The Off
GERS concerned believed until a shor.
time ago that there could be no question
as to their right to the higher salaries,
and that the saane in no way depended
upon the action of the Territorial Board
Of Equalization, the Auditor having cer>
titled to the Board of County Commits
sioners that the salaries Of the officers
mentioned in the above law should be
the same as said officers ia counties hav-
ing from ten Thousand 20 fourteen thou
sand inhabitants. The valuation of Bea-
yer county being greater than that of
Pawnee or Grant county:
Counties. Value rep. r. Il. Ter. BJ. Pop.
by elk, prop. value.
Beaver $3.50, 1877, S2,1S5 s 1,O97,405 1000
Grant 6l2.57O 1914, 7OS 1908 300 l4O00s
Pawnee 1910 525,455 l03l7
ESTIMATED.
Beaver raised e per cent. Pawnee II
per cent. Grant 81 per cent.
According to- the above the valuation
Of Beaver county Is greater before the
| raise than is Pawnee after the raise. But
subsequently the Governors report
(Which is not q certified rcport) shows
/ the population Of Pawnee TO be 1898,
which was urged as ground for grant
ing the temporary Injunction in the tax
case proceeding before Judge Tracy In
December. Upon investigation the
above population of Pawnee 5000 is
found tc be correct; but the morgan
lied territory. the Usage Reservation,
which is attached to Pawnee county for
judicial purposes, has a population of
2o24, which the commissioners in such
county must count in fixing tie salaries
of clerk. treasurer. attorney, ct al, maxi
ing the total population as above, 103l7,
(See page ia. Sec. SO, Session Laws 1897,
rs to population. salary, etc.
When the commissioners met January
Sd. we did not know whether the valua-
ton Of the attached territory was in
cluded in the above valuation of Pawnee
or not; but after n examination Of Art.
8. page e32. Session Laws 1895, in rela>
ton TO the listing and return of prop
erty and collection of taxes on property
! fert within any u~norganized territory
which is attached TO any county for ju'
dicial purposes, and there being no evil
dence before the board against the allow
auce of the higher salaries. the salary
bills wtre allowed at the increased rate
January 10Th l received q card from
the county clerk of Pawnee county stat,
ing that the valuation of Pawnee county
for 1897 is, in round numbers. $525, 900
and of the attached territory, in round
numbers, $475, 000-total, s 1000, 900
This raises a serious doubt as to the
duty of the commissioners 10 pay the
higher salaries. and until the questions
involved shall be passed upon by the
courts. the commissioners should refuse
TO allow the aforesaid officers any salary
until such a time as at the old rate Of
salary the amount then due shall equa
the amount paid. The county can lose
nothing by reason of the higher salaries
having been paid, for If the salaries have
been too high. the excess will be refund.
ed. otherwise the county will have bur
but satisfied legal claims.
r. Ii. LooFBoURRow,
County Attorney.
BEAVER, OKLA, Jan. 25. 1898.