The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1899-01-14
THE QUESTION OF SALARIES


The legislature now in session will
be asked to make q general pruning
down in the salaries of officers through
out the state, and it is In the interest
of all that this reduction of pay of Of
ficers be made judiciously, after care
full and thorough investigation. Not
only should the cutting down be made
in the elective officers in many cases,
but it should 60 to the extent Of fixing
the salaries of all appointive officers,
and make their pay proportionate to
the service they render, aud it should
begin at the state house and be con-
tinued down through the long list of
officers in every department of govern.
ment.
In the executive department. the
governor is allowed a private secretary
whose salary is at present 81 300 year,
yet whose duties are no greater than
many men who are working in private
employment on salary OF 500 a
month. Bsides this private secretary
there is stenographer at salary of
$1,000 year, who performs most of
the work of the office. In the secre-
tary of states Office there is a chief
clerk who draws annually $500, and
for additional clerical aid in this Office
$1,000 a year is allowed. The state
treasurer has q chief clerk at $1,000
and the superintendent of public in
struction one at $500. These chief
clerk positions are perfect sinacures,
and the attention of the legislature
should be turned toward reducing their
pay. They have no particular RESPONSE
bility to assume, and should be paid
only such salaries as they could COM
mand in similar employment in private
life.
After adjusting the pay of officers
about the state capital, the legislature
should take up the matter of equaliz.
ing salaries of county officers, and fix
ing the number of deputies they may
appoint and also designate what salar-
les they may receive. What reduc-
tions can he made in other counties,
we are unable to state, but that there
can be reductions made in Wasco
county, and still not effect the efficiency
of the service is certain. A petition has
already been forwarded to the legis-
lature asking that the salaries of the
county Judge and treasurer be reduced
to $500 year, and bill will be in
troduced in compliance with the
petition, and an effort will also be
made to reduce the salaries of the
clerk and sheriff. The provision will
be to fix the salary of the clerk at $50
a month, with one deputy at 500. The
sheriff's salary will probably be fixed
at 5000 a year, with one regular |
deputy at S75 month. Such a reduc.
tion could not, we believe. lessen the |
efficiency of the officers, and it would
effect saying OF several hundred dol
lars q year to the taxpayers, an end
very much to be desired.
w dSCO COuuby LOO OnOiOhe OhaSCto
in its service at present, who make no
complaint at working for the fixed
salaries, at least they were willing at
the recent election to accept the
positions. Yet the pay of the officers
was greatly reduced from what it was
under the fee system of few years
aeo. Under the fee system the pay of
the sheriff's and clerks offices was
double what it is now, still the officers
were no more efficient than those of
the present.
Whatever reductions are made they
should. however, not become operative
as to elective officers during the in
cumbency of those now in Office.
They were elected in June of last year
with an understanding of what their
should be; it was an implied
between them and the people
that their pay should be neither in
creased nor diminished, hence they are
entitled to the salaries provided by
law at the time of their election. But
if salaries are reduced by this legisla-
ture and made operative after the
next general election, present incumb-
ents can have no just cause of COM
plaint. If they do not desire the
positions at reduced salaries they need
not apply for them.