Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-12-09
EXAMINERS OF RECORDS AND
THEIR PAY

EXAMINERS OF RECORDS AND
THEIR PAY.
To the Editor of the alexandria Gazette.
Will you give me space in your valu-
able paper to call the attention of the
public 10 an act of the General Assem-
bly,, passed at its session of 1885, '96,
authorizing its circuit court judges to
appoint g commissioner in chancery in
each judicial circuit, to be known as
Examiners Of Records, end allowing
the appointees commission of one
tenth of one per centum of the aggre-
gate assessments made by them. l am
satisfied that all the members of the
legislature at That session did not real
izs the fact that they were voting away
the peoples money very lavishly and
unnecessarily, that they were giving to
these examiners 25 per centum of the
Slate taxes realized from such assess
menls, when the commissioners OF the
revenue were receiving, In comparison,
the small compensation of 2 per ceptum
for work which, all know who are at
all familiar with the duties of the two
sells of officials, is much more onerous
and Difficult. to perform. Let US exam
ine into the operation of this law for
the first two years-1896- -'97-and see
how the taxpayers have been wronged.
La those two years the taxes
ou the assessments reported by
these examiners amounted to
about $150,O00 Of this sum they
received one fourth or about S36, 600
The examiners we're employed for the
Two years not more than an average
of forty days each year. / think the
tax payers would be somewhat surpri:-
ed to know that the examiners, holding
the fat Jobs, received compensation for
the year 1896, as follows:
In the FIRST district $2050; in the
Second S110O; in the Fourth, $l450; III
the Seventh $500; in the Eleventh
$3.50; aud about the same compensa-
tlon Tor the year 1897. In the other
districts the compensation was smaller.
The taxpayers would be much more
surprised when they learn the per
diem compepsi on of these much favor
el officials. Take, for instance, the
seventh district, in which the ex-
aminer received about $500 each
wear, and calculate the per diem CON-
pensation on the basis Of forty days
actual work each year and we have the
modest little per diem compensation OF
$3.50 am satisfied when the tax
payers understand that their money is
being voted away thus lavishly they
will demand radical change IN the
law, and would not sanction the act OF
the las. legislature requiring the e1-
sniners to list all ships, tug boats or
other water craft, at the same
compensation, to lwit-one fourth OF
tbs State taxes. The passage of this
last act may result in serious loss to the
State, it may be developed if critically
looked into, that the expected lncrt O :
ed valuation of these ships, etc., Will
not pay the compensation received by
the examiners and thus entail loss on
the State. The legislature should call
specially for the amount of taxes receiV-
ed from this source precedi og
the passage of this last act
and the amount of taxes re-
ceiyed since under the valuation OF the
examers. Inotice that the the Richmond
Chaucery Court is required to keep a
registry of securities at the expense OF
the tax payers of Richmond city. was
this done to lesson the labor of the ex-
amiuer of the Seventh district, who has
heen drawing the Insignificant sum OF
about 5000 for about forty days WORK!
How can this heavy drain on the treas
nrv of out State be avoided, simply oy
g 1actipg law requiring all WORK %
ma done by the clerks OF the several
courts. except the listing of the ships,
etc. and allow them a compensation ol
five per centum, thereby saving twenty
ner centum OF the State taxes. iney
are more familiar with the records OF
their courts, and will do the WORK fuiiy
and efficiently. The ships, ETC., sn ouio
he assessed by the commissioners OF .ne
revenue. as they were before they were
njaced in the hands of examiners. ou'
# our legislators, in their wisdom, COZ
sider it to the interest of the State 70
continue IL Office these examiners, why
not restrict their compensation 70 suGn
new assessments as they may annuaiy
renort. m and not pay them the unlusl
compensation for copying the reports
thew t had previously made. The ehec, ehec,
Of off the law as it stands allows sI them
tventy-fve per centuu of the state state
taxes for copying the reports previous, Is,
" W made by them. with the necessary ar
changes, if any. I will add that ii q tne e
two last years operations under tLls
law be equal to the first TWO yeats ha
these the examiners have received from .ne Z
state state about $4,000, when the same am
1,a. York could have been we'll and ial!ni IN
fnIIv % done by the clerks OF the ne sevefa a q.
,u,, oonrls sat at a cost of about $15,OOo, q saw, v
;nS Eo1 70 y the State in the four years o. o.
sbs about 1T 100000. Is the State able ); &c .f
ssS"m aouuV q wsv SIS OOO0 yearly to enrlcf
the pockets of these examiners T,@psxEs.
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