The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-01-17
It's Escape From Being
Held Up.
Sena tor Frye Formally Declared
Elected.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l

tsEENlAL IL 1hE IhEoo.l
Augusta, January IS These are the
days when talk about the fee system
begins to be heard In ths Hobbies. Rep
resentative Allan of Portland having set
the ball In motion, other members are
busy preparing bills and orders. MIR.
Phoenix of Alfred today introduced u
general bill to regulate the salaries of
all county officers. Mr.. Phoenix's bin
provides:
Section 1-An county attorneys, treasur-
ers, commissioners, sheritfs, clerk OF
courts, registers Of deeds, judges OF pro-
bate and registers or probate Of the sew
eraI counties shall be paid a fixed salary
from the treasures OF the several ooun-
ties.
Section 2-They shall be paid quarterly
In January, April, July and Ootobsr.
All moneys received by the above officers
as fees or In any other way pertaining
to their several offices shall be paid to
the county treasurers or the first of JAN
uary, April, July and October and used
by the several treasurers for the pay
meut of any debts due from the ooun-
ty. Inc amount OF salaries TO be paid
this several officers hall be fixed by the
legislature.
Section 9-This act shall take effect on
the first Of January.
Then Mr. Cook OF Vassalboro presented
an order that the Kennebec county dale
CATION Inquire into the expedienoy of
placing all county officers IL. Kennebec
county on a salary.
Now that these measures have APP
psared, naturally one OF the first ques-
tions asked is as TO the system OF pay
msnt in vogue in other states and there
is plenty OF evidence to show that the
payment of salaries is finding favor
elsewhere. In Indiana, an investigation
OF the subject has just been made by
state fee and salary commission and their
report has just been received here.
Among the first chapters of this docu
ment is one under the heading Fees
and Salaries in Other States" and 1t
contains much information of interest
Just now in Maine. The commission say:
"No uniform rule as to fees and salaries
existed anywhere, the meth oos or COM
pensating state and county officers vary
ing from all fees, through part fees and
part salaries, to fixed salaries and no
fees The commission then summarize
the result of their inquiries in 30 states.
In Alabama, state officers judges and
prosecuting attorneys receive salaries and
are forbidden to accept fees All county
officers receive fees fixed by statute, ex
hr,
ceive salaries.
Arkansas pays salaries to all of Its
state officers. County officers receive
fees axcept In eight or ten counties
when part of the officers are paid both
salaries and fees. In those counties
where salaries are paid, they are graded
somewhat in proportion to popuiati on
and services to be rendered, but there Is
no definite rule.
In Cali fornia, with two or three exoep-
lions, all county officers are salaried and
their fees go into the county salary fund.
The salaries of both state and county
officers are fixed by law In Colorado and
are not paid out of fees collected by the
officers.
In Connecticut, state officers have sal
aries and so do county officers, except
ing clerks, who receive fees, but propo-
sition to put them also on salary is I'M
der consideration. In no cases are sala-
rles contingent upon fees earned.
Previous to 1899, in Idaho, county Off
GERS were paid part salaries and part fees.
but in that year the legislature passed q
bill regulating the salaries OF county
officers according to services required,
the salaries to be fixed by the county
commissioners. The salary law was