Amador ledger., 1903-01-16
REFORM THE FEE SYSTEM.

to collect fees self sustaining. Par
ticularly is this rule applicable to
the offices of county clerk and recor-
der. The general taxpayers ought
not to be called upon, under prop
erly regulated fee schedule, to con-
tribute one dime for the support of
these offices. In fact, they ought
to be a source revenue, instead of an
item of cost to the public. With
the sheriff's office also the revenue
from fees might under judicious
schedule be made an important item
in the payment of the salary of that
officer. Under the system in vogue
twenty-five years ago, when these
officials were paid by fees collected
from those transacting business
with their offices, instead of by
fixed salary, the sums realized at
that time would nearly if not quite
equal the salaries paid under the
present regime Indeed, the emolu-
ments of Office were on such a
princely scale, that the abolition of
of the fee system, and the substitu-
tion of fixed salaries therefor, was
imperatively demanded. The poll
ticians were then concerned in aug
mentiug the fees. The higher the
fees the more money it meant for
them, and of course fees were lifted
skyward.
But with the Inauguration of fixed
salaries and the diversion of the fees
into the county treasury came a
change in the tactics of the politi-
clans Their efforts were then di-
rected toward boosting salaries and
cutting off fees. This policy has
held undisputed sway ever since the
new order of things went into effect.
Its effect upon the finances of the
county has been marked. Almost
every legislature has taken whack
in the direction of increasing sala-
ries, either directly or indirectly, or
directing fees into other channels
than the county treasury. And this
has been done by representatives of
the people, whose highest duty is
supposed to be to look after the in
terests of their constituents. To
such an extent has this policy been
pressed, that it is problem whether
we are not suffering greater evils
under the salary system to-day than
we did under the fee system of by
gone days. Last week we published
a list of fees collected by the county
officers during December. The re-
ceipts that month were considerably
above the average; nevertheless they
suffice to illustrate the point under
discussion. The fees of the sheriff S
Office are reported as $5. That
simply means that county revenue
from sheriff's fees has been practi-
cally wiped out. How has this been
accomplished? Simply by diverting
business that legitimately belongs
to that Office to private channels.
All processes in civil litigation, if
served by the sheriff, are subject to
fees, and the sums collected paid
into the treasury. This is on the
principle that in litigation between
private persons, the party in the
wrong should pay the costs. 1t is a
monstrous proposition that the
general public, having no interest in
the quarrel, should pay the costs.
The innocent ought not to suffer
directly for the sins of the wrong
doer. Hence fees are collected from
whichever party requires the officers
services, and the costs are finally
charged up against the losing party
The people have instituted courts
for the purpose of settling private
disputes. On no principle of equity
should the innocent public be made
to bear the burden or any part of it.
But this is what the taxpayers of
Amador county have been and are
still doing. In some cases fees have
been whitfield to nothing; in others
the business turned elsewhere. The
taxpayers get it in the neck, as it
were, from all sides. We may cite
an instance in this county. The
Moore mine property was sold under
an execution recently. The fees al
lowed the salesman in this case
amounted to about $1400, all of
which went into the pocket of a
special commissioner appointed to
make the sale. If the sheriff had
sold the property the money would
have gone into the county treasury
either of this or Calaveras county.
But under the manipulation of the
law for political ends, the money