The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-18

satisfied he would have included in his
list the desire of the average office
holder for an increase of salary.
1t was practically admitted the
floor of the house that the present law
does an injustice to the officers of west
ern Kansas counties, but no such claim
was made for eastern Kansas officers as
class. In western Kansas while the
officers receive good pay for the amount
of work they do, they have to spend so
much of their time in their offices doing
nothing and are required to give bond
just the same as if they were doing
big business, it was claimed that their
salaries would not nearly support them.
In the rest of the state it seems that
the Officeholders have not found their
offices the sinecures they supposed them
to be, and were therefore grievously dis
appointed. In former days when salar-
les were high to correspond with boom
times the officer drew the salary and
had enough clerks furnished him to do
all the work. Under the present law he
is compelled to do some of the work
himself and is not supposed to get
much more than he would be worth in
other business lines, but in many cases
he does.
There is now and then an exception
to the fee grabberS, and it is refreshing
to hear of them Mr. Mendenhall of
Linn said that he had received a letter
from the probate judge of his county
demonstrating against any raise IN ms
salary as proposed by the bill, and MI
MendenhalI tried to amend the bill so
as to leave the salary the same as at
present, but the house forced the raise
on to the Linn county man Whetner ne
wanted it or not.
The discussion of the bill began snort
~ after 8 o'clock yesterday afternoon,
and continued until 11:15 last night,
with only intermission enough for the
members to get their supper.
Anderson of Sedgwick started hght
on the bill by moving to make it read so
as to give the county commissioners
discretionary power with regard 10 clerk
hire for county treasurer.
Ravenscraft, who comes from the snort
grass country, and several others OPP
posed this motion. They wanted AT
allow clerk hire in order to help out
county treasurers in the western part
of the state.
Mr.. Scott of Elk made a motion, which
has become a habit with him, to strike
out the enacting clause. This aroused
the ire of Mr. Burkholder, chairman OF
the fee and salary committee, and ne
said:
''It is very complimentary to the COM
mittee which has worked hard adjust
ing this bill, to have a man who has not
read it move to strike out its enact1ng
clause"
Judge Babb, of Wichita. was against
the bill. 1.-The most complaint concern
ing our present law he said, seems
to come from the western part of the
state and I think this bill should apply
to the western part of the state alone,
but I find that it also applies to some
of the most populOuS counties, and
notice that it is very beneficial to the
office holders. 1 also notice that in
these counties men are still falling over
one another in running for the offices
that they claim don't pay them a living.
I have letters here from my constitu-
ents-for they have a. habit of writing
and telling me what they want-and
they object to any increase in the sal
aries of the officers of my county.
am in favor of striking out the enact
ing clause of this BILL
Mr.. Biddle, of Comanche, claimed that
it is almost impossible to get men to
accept the county offices in his county
under the present law.
A long debate fol1owed-mostIy one
sided. Reser, Harper, Wise, Wheeler,
Osborn of Saline. Grattan, Lawrence.