The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-15
PEOPLE PAY II. 1
How the Last Legislature
Served Shawnee Taxpayers.
County Officers viii Get from
1000 to $4,000 More.
DONE By SPECIAL ACTS
Representatives Were Appar-
emily Sleeping on Arms.
Nearly Every Official Will Get
Increased Compensation.
SHERIFF LUCAS AHEAD
His Extra allowance at Least
1900 Year.
Commissioners and Register Of
Deeds Fare Well.
Representatives Were Appar-
emily Sleeping on Arms.
Nearly Every Official Will Get
Increased Compensation.
SHERIFF LUCAS AHEAD
His Extra allowance at Least
1900 a Year.
Commissioners and Register Of
Deeds Fare Well.

The special laws passed by the last
legislature for the benefit Of several
Shawnee county officers. win increase
the expense OF the county thousands OF
dollars each year. The increase viii be
from $4,000 to $4,000 a year in fees and
salaries and the people pay the bills.
The taxpayers of the county left legis=
lation to the Shawnee delegation and a
strong lobby was at work during the
entire session to fatten some OF the
county Offices There was practically
no opposition except when it came to
the adjustment of county auditor.
Those who wished to mulch the county
for larger fees thought that the county
auditor, the guard of the county's funds.
was in the way and a move was made
to pass a law abolishing the office 50
that all might have a free grab at the
county funds. But those who were will
ing TO pass the bills for an increase OF
fees and salaries baked when it came
to such an open and hagrant violation
of business principles as to abolish the
Office of county auditor and thereby
take off all restrictions thrown around
the fee grabbing practice As it was
the bills which must be paid according
to the new law. will increase the fees
and salaries several thousand dollars
What the increase will be cannot be
determined until the years business is
closed
SHERIFF GETS BIG RAISE.
House bill No. ABS gives the sheriff Of
4 Shawnee county additional fees which
will make the Office one of the best
paying in the court house.
/ Tha new law gives the sheriff 30 cents
a day for the boarding of each prisoner
1 Under the old law the sheriff received
40 cents a day. This raises the amount
to be received by the sheriff for the
year the county paid the sheriff S3,372. 10
for the board of prisoners. One-fourth
added of that Is little over SSuO ana
viii bring the cost for the board OF
prisoners a year up to $4,000 and more
There is a great profit in this for the
sheriff as the county furnishes the iur-
niture heat, light and bedding aud
clothing for the prisoners The sheriff
has been receiving 81 a day for attend
ing Jail Under the new law he will
receive 81 a day and 10 cents a day ad-
ditional for each prisoner This IN
crease of 10 cents day for each prss-.
4 oner will net the sheriff an increase the
same as the increase in the board bill
and means about $500 a year.. These
two items increase the revenue of Sher-
if Lucas 81. 500 a year.
The new law says: "The sheriff Of
Shawnee county shall receive all the
fees collected up to $3.50 dollars, and If
in any one year the fees charged ex-
elusive of the amount herefnbefoTe
I
fees collected from the state for con-
Veying prisoners to the state charitable
and penal institutions. shall be more
] than the sum of $500 in addition to the
amount of fees for necessary deputy
4 hire, a s provided by chapter 213, section
1 Of the session laws of 1901, the said
sheriff of Shawnee county shall pay to
the county treasurer of said county one
third of such excess, when collected.
taking duplicate receipts therefor. one
of which he shall file with the county
clerk Of said county, and such money
shall become part Of the general fund
of the county"
This allows the sheriff to retain fees
uo to $500 and in addition allows him
the $500 increase for boarding prisoners
and the fees received for travelling to
the state institutions. He will be
allowed deputy hire and two-thirds or
all fees over $500. Last month
/ Sheriff Lucas received $155 for going to
New Mexico after prisoner and sos
for serving a recuisition in St. jos.
/ Under Sheriff Cook the fees in 1902 did
not exceed the So 500 but the new law
allows Sheriff Lucas an increase in
many fees and allows new fees. and it -
safe to say that there viii be an excess
to be divided between him and the
county.
COMMISSIONER IN IT.
The county commissioners of ShawHee
county viii be paid $1,000 a year here
| after. The salary was 5000 a year uns.
til the last legislature raised it $500 Il
year. This viii make an increased ex-
pense to the county of $500 each year fos
salaries of the county commissioners
alone. With the salary of a commits
SiOner I'D to $1,000 4 year the commits e
sioners, under the biennial election law
elected for a term Of six years. and the
precedent of giving a commissioner two
terms in Office, which viii be II years
with a salary for that time of S1z 400
the commissioners viii be about TIE
best political berths in the county Be
sides this the commissioners shall each
be allowed and receive five cents per
mile for each mile actually and neccs-
sarily Travelled in the transaction o.
any Of the duties of said Office and in
defending upon each and all meetings Of
the board. to be paid out of the county
treasury in quarterly installlnents-
The commissioners receive. besides
their salary. five cents a mile for at
tending board meetings and in trans
acting business for the county.
MORE CLERK HIRE
County Clerk Newman viii have 81
400 a year to pay for clerk hire in his
office This is provided by senate bill
No. 301 which reads as follows:
Whereas. The provision in section I
of chapter 141 of the session laws Of
1899. being section 3026 of chapter 80 ct
: the general statutes of 1901, allowing to
the county clerks of counties having a
population Of over $4,000 persons tlia
sum Of $1,000 for clerk hire is an inade-
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