The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-14
The Salary of the Governor May BE
Increased from $1,000 to
$4,000.
PAY OF SUPREME JUDGES
WILL ALSO RE RAISED IF THE BILL
is ADOPTED.
Law Regulating Payment of Fees In
to State Treasury to be
strengthened by Bill.

has finally completed it's bill TO be pre-
scented to the next Legislature and 1T is
now in the hands of the printer. With re-
lation to state officers the bill will recon-
mend an increase in the salary of the Gov
ernor from 5000 to $1,000. The salary of
the Governors private secretary will be in
creased from 81. 800 to s., 400, which is about
the average salary of the private secre-
taries of the different states. The salaries
of the Supreme judges will be increased
from $4,000 to $1,000 and the salaries of the
Appellate judges from $3.50 to $4,000. The
secretary of the State Board OF Health is
to receive a straight salary Of $500. The
present law has been strengthened in re-
gard to the payment of fees into the state
treasury so that every fee Of every kind
will be paid into the State. The system of
accounting in all state offices has been
made more specific.
Several lines of investigation relative to
the salaries of county officers occurred to
the board, but each one of them would
have led to the collection OF vast amount
of useless material. and 1t was, therefore.
deemed best to make the investigation as
simple but as thorough as possible. hence
the commission decided to confine its in
quiries to the office work, which is already
known as prescribed by the statutes, as
resources and revenue. This would enable
the commission 10 meet the constitutional
requirements that all salaries shall be
based upon population and necessary serv-
ices rendered. There were numerous sug-
gestions offered the commission to take up
specific duties of the various county Off
GERS and base thereon the specific salary
for each officer. but this, it was decided.
would leave the causes of complaint just
where they are now. 1t would by no
means do away with the inequalities of
which complaint has been made and will
be continued to be made under the law of
specific allowance. This further empha-
sized the necessity of a law simple but
comprehensive in it's requirements. The
commission, therefore, decided to recon-
mend to the Legislature the fixing of all
salaries to be paid irrespective of fees,
based upon population so as TO answer the
constitutional requirements relative to
population. In addition thereto each Of
fcer is to be allowed 10 per cent of all the
fees collected by him as to meet the con-
stitutional requirements with reference to
services rendered. Therefore the officers of
two counties of the same population will
receive the same salaries, but the greater
Or less compensation whole will depend
upon the collection of fees. Thus for the
county clerks the commission will recon-
mend $l20 for each one thousand population
up to ten thousand, and $50 thousand for
each one thousand population thereafter.
In addition they will have 10 per cent. of all
the fees collected by them. The auditors
will receive under the recommendation the
same amount on population as the clerks,
but the fees of their offices being meager,
10 per cent. of them alone would leave a
great inequality as between the total COM
pensation of the clerks and auditors. To
obviate this difficulty and TO equalize the
auditors with the clerks, liz has been de-
cided to allow the auditor in addition to his
salary on population and 10 per cent of the
fees, an amount payable out of the treas
ury equal TO 10 per cent. of the school fund
interest collected by him. To the treasurer,
his salary fixed on population, 1t will be
urged, shall be paid 500 on one thousand
population up to ten thousand population
and $50 for each one thousand population
thereafter, with an addition of per cent.
of all delinquent taxes collected by him. Ii
was decided TO give the sheriff $40 per
thousand population up to ten thousand
population and $40 per one thousand popu-
lation for every one thousand thereafter
with 10 per cent. of his fees. The recorder
is to get $50 for each one thousand popula-
ton up to ten thousand population and $50
for each one thousand population there
dIleT WIFI ~ per cent OF MS lees. The
salaries computed on population are to be
paid directly out of the county treasury
each quarter irrespective of fees. In other
words, 1t is 10 be fixed salary whether
| the fees collected to pay 1t are sufficient OF
| not. This is recommended for the reason
| that under the present law, with salaries
contingent upon fees, any officer under the
| best circumstances does not collect enough
| during his first year of office TO meet his
| salary.
| CONTROIJ,ED nv ADVISopy p0ApDc
All per diem officers are provided for in
the recommendation of Section 10 of the
law concerning advisory boards, which
shall be added to the law governing the
county council. That section gives the ad
visory board full control of per diem al.
lowances of township trustees, and it ha.
been observed by the commission that the
allowances under 1t have been materially
| reduced Working so effectually in town
ship business the commission thought tn,
| same results could be obtained relative t.
| the per diem compensation of other count,
officers, such as county assessors. town
| ship assessors, county surveyors, county
| superintendents and the like by giving tn,
| county council full control over their com
| pensation at the rate per diem as fixed by
| law. The commission will also recommend
/ that the salary system of justices of tn,
| peace and constables be extended to jus
4
| ing cities or parts of cities of 10000 popu
| lation or more. Under the bill the com
| mission has drafted salaries will averag,
| from $500 for justices OF the peace and $50
| for constables in townships with mini
| mum population TO $3.50 for justices of tn,
peace and 81, 900 for consta bes in township,
| of maximum population. In addition tn,
| constables and the justices of the peace will
| be allowed per cent. of all fees collected
| by them. a more accurate and stringen
| method in reporting fees and collection
| has been devised. County officers and Jus
| tees OF the peace and constables have here
| tofore collected a large amount of none,
| under the taxation of their predecessor
for which they have received no compensa
/ ton The commission will recommend tina
| the county officers in addition TO the 10 De
| cent. of their own fees collected be Above,
| per cent. of their predecessors fees 70
| the collection thereof, and that per cent
| he allowed their predecessors. and that tn
| justices of the peace and the constable
| be allowed 2la per cent. for the collection
of the same class of fees.
| The full report of the commission. cover
| ing $50 pages and entering into clos
| analysis of the relation of the present sal
| aries to fees collected and taxed, will ap
| pear next week and be forwarded to tn
| various members Of the Legislature Coun
| ~ officers desiring copy may procure on
| OF the commission. The report will contain
the bill herein summarized in full