Amador ledger., 1903-03-13
COMMUNICATION.
SACRAMENTO, CAL, Mar. 10.
Dear Sir

Dear Sir
There having been some criti-
cism of Assembly Bill No. 946,
creating salary for the payment
of justices of the peace and con-
stables in Amador county, in Grim
inal cases, l beg to call your at
tention to the following statement
of facts:
The bill was prepared and intro
duced at the request of large num-
Der of the leading citizens of ANA
dor county. I received petition
from the county board OF super
visors signed by them unanimously,
in which the following statement is
made:
That after full examination of
your measure, Assembly Bill No.
846, reference to fixing salary for
justices of the peace and constables
of the various townships of Amador
county, we do hereby endorse the
same, and trust that said bill will
become law, as we deem it just and
reasonable.
A petition signed by one hundred
and fourteen voters and taxpayers
of Sutter Greek has been received.
Among the list of names was that of
E. c. VOORHEES,, Jackson Dennis,
Morris Brinn, and other well known
and prominent citizens from Amador
county.
From Amador City petition con-
tanning thirty-two names was re-
ceived, including the leading citizens
and taxpayers. - ''' -
Without giving a lons list OF
names or any further quotations, 1.-THE
extracts from private letters we
deem it advisable to omit in the
absence of any definite request for
the publication of this article. Ed
think it is evident that there has
been a general demand that the JUS
tices and constables should be put
on a salary. In arranging these sal
aries l have put them extremely low,
lower than those of any other coun-
ties in the state.
beg to call your attention to the
fact that out of the fifty-six coun-
ties of the state, not including San
Francisco, twenty pay their justices
and constables salaries in criminal
cases. In'every one of them the sal
aries paid are nearly twice what
they are in my bill for Amador coun-
ty, and if the difference in popula-
tion in the several townships is taken
into consideration, the economy of
my rates is even greater. Taking
only the five counties with smaller
population than Amador which paw
salaries, Kings, Stanislaus, Merced,
Colusa and Glenn, under the Act of
1897, we find the rates for Kings, in
townships having a population of
four thousand, justices get $75 a
month, and constables as much. In
Stanislaus, townships having a pop
ulation of over $500 pay their JUS
tices $40 month, and their con-
stables $50; in townships having a
population of from 2400 to $500, the
justices get $50 and constables $50;
in townships ranging from 1900 to
24OO, the justices get $40 and the
constables $50. In Merced county.
justices in townships having more
than $500 get 800 a month, and con-
stables the same; in townships hav-
ing population of from 1000 to
$500, the justices get $75 a month,
and the constables $75. In Colusa
county, the justices get $75 month
in townships having population of
over 900, and constables as much.
In Glenn the salaries are the same.
Compare those figures with the
$40 given Amador justices, and the
$50 constables receive in townships
having over 5000 population, and the
$35 justices get, and the $55 given
constables in the other townships of
the county. The other provisions of
the new law are identical with those
of all the other counties in the state
paying salaries in criminal cases to
their township officers.
| may add that large number of
bills have been introduced this
session by the representatives of the
different counties which do not, as
yet, pay their justices and constables
salaries, the object being to create
salaries for those officials.
In every one of these bills the sal
aries are very much larger than
those l proposed. In San Bernar-
dino county, for instance, in town
ships having population of 1000,
and less than 5000, justices are to re-
ceive $75 per month, and the sal
aries that propose are to be paid
to justices and constables in town
ships of between 800 and 1000 inhabi-
tants. In estimating the expense of
this new bill, it is only fair that the
present fees paid the justices and
constables, should be deducted from
the amount which they would re-
ceive in salaries.
If this is done, am satisfied that
the increased expenditure will be
very slight, while the increase in the
service rendered, and the character
OF men who would be called upon to
accept the positions will be very
great, and will more than offset the
increased expenditure.
In preparing, introducing, and
passing these bills, l have sought to
carry out the wishes of the vast
majority of my constituents, and II
have endeavored to look after the
best interests of Amador county.