Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-03-03
WHAT THE LAWYERS SAY.
Interviews With Several Attorneys in
Reference to the Fee System
and How Much the City
Attorney Should
Be Paid.

tn6 Omc6fb OF INC CITY De
compensated with salary or by fees?'
a LEDGER reporter put the following
questions to some OF Mexico's lawyers
to-day:
"Do you think the fee system should
be done away WITH" "What do you
think to be a fair compensation for
the City Attorneys services?"
II. Fl. Larimore: "Yes, I am OPP
posed to the fee system and think
that the City Attorneys duties should
be confined to the police court with a
salary of $40 per month. 1.-The contin-
ues all city work he should not have
less than $780,"
Rhodes Clay: "Owing to the fact
that I do not know the duties of the
office, I am not prepared to say"
F. r. Jesse: son general principles
1 am not in favor of the fee system.
I am not prepared to say what amount
the City Attorney should receive as a
salary"
l.. P. CrigIer: 81 am in favor OF
doing away with the fee system and
favor paying the CityAttorney a salary
of S30-for which he should perform
all police court work. A counsellor
to attend to all Circuit Court work
should be employed at a good fee."
General D. II. Mcintyre: SCI favor
the salary system as against the fee
system. 1 am not prepared to say
what the salary of the City Attorney
should be; that is a matter for the City
Council to decide. One advantage of
the fee system is that it stimulates the
officials to do their duty; but, On the
other hand, it makes some over zeal
GUS in performing their duty"
Orlando Hit: "I think the fee sys-
tenn should be abolished as to City
Attorney, Marshal and Police Judge.
Elect good men to fill such positions
and give them salaries and a great
inducement to oppression in Office is
thereby removed. Besides, q large
majority of the fees which 60 to such
officers are indirectly paid by the city
and for which the city gets no sufficient
returns"
Chas. r. Macfarlane: ST am hardly
prepared to say whether the fee sys-
tenn should be abolished or not. I
will say, though, that the fee system
has a tendency to make the officials
do their duty. I think if the fee sys-
tenn is discontinued that the salary of
the City Attorney should be at least
$50. In Columbia the attorneys fee
depends upon the conviction of the
culprit and the collection of the fine."
P. III. Cullen: 81 think the fee sys-
tenn should be abolished. Discharging
his duties as he should, l think the
City Attorney should receive a salary
of $50 per month. I think the proper
way to conduct this branch would be
to pay the City Attorney $25 and create
the office of City Counsellor, whose
duty it would be to attend to the
drafting of ordinances, advising city
officials and taking in hand the more
cases."
w. HI. KEENAN,: "I am not prepared
to say whether the fee system should
be abolished. lido think, though, that
the City Attorney should be compen-
stated with about $50 a month";"
E. s. Cant: 81 always have said
the fee systsna~ should be abol-
shed and that the attorney should
receive a stated salary. In my posi-
lion, relative to the City Council, it
be Indelicate for me to suggest
an appropriate salary. I think that
by legislation the Police Court should
be abolished and petty offenders tried
before a Justice of the Peace. Then !
would favor having a City Counsellor.
The statutes provide for one."
W. A. Edmonston: "There are two
tides to this question, but it seems to
ne that were the fee system abolished
he officials would not make the effort.
I am in favor of feeling the
and City Attorney alone. If
| salary alone is given the attorney
lot less than $50 should be the salary."l
Mr.. j. W. Montague's SON is here