Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-01
Jones AND his FEES
Clerk Of the Iowa Supreme Court
Charged With Retaining
States Money.
Fees For Copies Of the Decisions in
Dispute Jones Makes an
Explanation.
Claims to Have Followed the Gus.
tom Of His Predecessors His
Statement.
sensational

Des Moines, June IA sensational
controversy has arisen among state Of
ficials relative to the disposition of
about $500 in fees collected by Clerk
Chris Jones Of the supreme court for
copies of opinions furnished by him to
attorneys and to law publishing compa-
MES. These fees he had been creditlng
to his personal account, instead of turn
ing them over to the state, claiming not
only the precedent Of the Office from the
beginning. to warrant him in this pro-
lceeding, but also the OPINION of an at
torney general of the state in 1873 and
the claim of an equity in this earnings
outside of the office.
The fees collected from this source by
Mr. Jones for the last five and one
Iquarter years amount to $4,000 approXi.
mately. The claim is made, however,,
THAT he must be required to account for
Is per cent additional, which would
make the fees as large as those author-
lied to be collected by the statute.
The law governing this matter was
passed about thirty years ago before
typewriters We're used and before pub
fishing houses furnished copies of opin-.
! ions to subscribers. 1t authorized a
charse of 10centa a hundred words for
copies. The clerk charged the West
Publishing Company of Minneapolis %
cents page for carbon typewritten
copies. He charged attorneys 20 cents a
page.
It have received about $1,000 from at
torneys during the five and one-half
years have been in the clerks Office
Mr.. Jones said last night. II have re-
ceived about $1,000 from the West com
/, pany during that period. Before went
in the state employed a clerk at $500
i a year to make the official record re-
g|.quired by law The clerk employed
personally TO do the copying for which
4 received fees also made this record,
which was donated to the state and
\ saved it an expenditure of 5000 a year.
4 or $3.50 for the perioc Of my incum-
bency Out of the $4,000 which 1 have
received have paid about $500 u year.
A or $1,000. for clerk hire to do the work.
4 This makes the sum which have
4 profited net $1,000.
j There has never been any other Gus
tom in the clerks Office. said Mr..
4 Jones. THE committee on retrench-
s ment and reform of the last assembly
a went over this thing carefully That
q committee is established by statute To
take cognizance Of this very kind OF
thing and to correct any bad practice
that may be in vogue in state offices
Il This committee warmly commended
], my system OF bookkeeping, my record:
!. and everything. 1t did not take kindly
:, to my arrangements about copying
l fees but 1t was reasonable enough t.
see that my office required the $500 ex-
i ira which have been saving the state
Iunless We're permitted to profit by
(, these fees.
That committee said was justified
i lin following the precedent OF the office
/ and 1t there and then made settle
ment with me on this basis: That
! should abolish this copying custom for
q the future and that the legislature
should give me the 5000 required by
. make the permanent record required by
the statute. We kept this compact.
Immediately eliminated this business OF
q which there Is complaint and the legis-
lature appropriated the $500 for the
clerkship"
A consultation will be held soon by
the attorney for Mr.. Jones. Attorney
General Re1nley and others interested
4 in the affair, and an agreeable settle.
. ment of the matter is expected.