Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-03-29
REFORMS ARE NEEDED
Attention Called to Evils Of the
Fee System in Vogue in
Marshalltown.
Mr.. R. E. Sears Argues For Fixed
Salaries For Mayor and
Police Officers.

Regarding certain much needed re-
forms in our municipal government Mr..
X. T.. Sears submits the following COM
lmuncation:
Editor Times Republican,: The cleo
| ton is over and we Should begin To con
slider the betterlnent ofSour city affairs.
Under the city ordinances the mayor
iieceives 81 a year salary and the fees of
the Office for his compensation. rhe
marshal and his officers receive a
STATED salary and in addition thereto
ices for arrests, etc In my Judgment
1.-THE fee system is wrong. The whole
tendency of it is to Increase litigation
lseXpenses at the cost of the city and
ltounty. Arrests are encouraged by self
Interest of the officers. The fewer arr
lsrests the less the pay. The greater the
numbers of arrests. the greater thu pay.
Soon unnecessary arrests are apt to be
made and later on encouragement given
ITO certain classes for an exchange of
isfenefits. one to receive the fees, the 9th
Ell to receive meals and lodgings. What
is known as the tramp nuisance offers a
wide field of opportunity in this line.
Again every person arrested, how
ever humble, is entitled to an impartial
| trial before a disnterested tribunal Ii
the mayors pay depends upon the num-
her of arrests made and convictions se-
l8eured, then he is not disnterested IL.
the officer is interested In making the.
arrest and the magistrate IN causing a
conviction, then the very fountains of
Justice are polluted and even-handed
Justice becomes a mockery. Then the
70
Isof oppression and Of possible black
mail.
so it is with the license fees. If the
mayor receives the fees or portion
of them,1tilen he becomes directly inter-
Tested in the widest pen town possible
III the slot machines are licensed. he
receives a rake off; if wheels of fortune
are licensed. he receives benefit If
gambling rooms and other places az
vice are protected. the price of protec-
them ALL a public office becomes a pri-
Svate snap. and we may expect to soon
find their demoralizing influences in
ether directions
In my Judgment the whole fee sys-
tennis wrong and its tendency is toward
corruption. The marshal and his off,
Gers and the mayor should receive a
Reasonable and fixed compensation for
their services. and then all fees earned
& by them, whether collected from ind;-
Isviduals or from the county, should be
reported, strictly accounted for and
turned into the city treasury. If the
fees are more than the fixed salary so
much the better for the city; il less,
which is not probable, then the city
should make UP the difference The arr
eument that officials will be more dill
l.gent in the performance of their duties
iif their pay depends upon fees is falla-
cious. If they are so unprincipled that
lthey will not do their duty. then thew
would be unprincipled enough To abuse
their position If they had the opportu.
! nifty. III they fail to do their duty. the
i.emedy of discharge is always at hand.
Cnder section gu of the code of 1897
| he council can not legally fix the sala-
! ny of the mayor already elected, nor in
lcrease nor decrease his COMPENSATION
hut 1t can fix a salary for all future
mayors. 1t can also fix the salaries OF
the new marshal and officers before
l3fhey have been confirmed by the coun-
tcil. The new council can make a be-
ginning of better system by passing
such an ordinance at once.
In succeeding number of your pa
lper shall, with your permission. dis
cuss the subject of system of checks
between the various municipal depart
ments r. E. SEARS"
l.