The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-14
County Commissioners Would
Encourage Large Families.
Proposes to Pay Clerks With
Children More Salary.
ON A SLIDING SCALE.
Increase Dependent Upon the
Arrival of Infants.
Argue 1t Is i'm Accordance With
Republican Policy.

County Commissioner Sterne has
made the suggestion to the board of
county commissioners that Shawnee
county push the Roosevelt large family
idea by raising the salary of every clerk
in the court house So a month for each
child in the family.
The suggestion was made when one
of the clerks passed around box OF
cigars in honor of q brand new
baby The county commissioners were
not forgotten in the distribution OF
weeds to be consumed as incense and
burnt offering in honor of the new ar
rival. AS Commissioner Sterne accept
ed his smoke he said:
why shouldn't the county raise the
salary of each clerk So a month for each
new baby?"
The other commissioners did not dis
sent to the suggestion and Mr.. Sterne
took courage and continued:
President Roosevelt advocates larger
families. He is a Republican and
therefore that is sort of Republican
party policy. The county admln1stra-
tion is Republican We should carry
out Republican ideas. We are, as a
county, easily able to carry out this
plan of placing a premium on bables.
L don't see anything wrong with the
idea" said Chairman Harrison Of the
board.
Would the premium for twins be a
SO raise and the premium for tripletS
be a SIS month raise?' asked Com
missioner Haines-
But those are simply matters of de-
tail for future consideration.
The various county offices are supplied
with funds for clerk hire. These funds
are not all used and each Office mas a
large sum in the clerks salary fund left
al the expiration of each year Why not
use some of this in the interest of an in
creased census?
The idea might be still more sweeping
by including babies and children that are
hon NJ n
certain office where the salary of clerks
is placed at $50 per month, let IS be added
to the salary of each clerk for each child
in the family. One of the clerks has three
children His salary should be advanced
to SIS at once. and the other raises might
come in the future.
This would be placing all clerks on an
equal basis, as is done in the army and
navy, and then following. the army and
navy plan of advancement In the army
and navy officers are advanced so many
points for meritoriOus conduct or hazard
adventure.
In the court house lists let each point
be represented by 81 for the baby pre-
MUM plan For each baby let the clerk
be advanced five points and as each point
is represented by 81, let his salary be rails
ed IS. The clerk with the three children
would at once be advanced Is points and
nobody knows how soon he might be ad-
vanced five points more, or, in case of
twins. ten points at one jump
If this plan is adopted there will be no
future generations in Topeka to be known
by the front names of mot Dewey, Schley,
F'unston), but Sterne, Harrison and
Haynes. The commissioners would soon
have many nameSakes. Wouldn't Sterne
Smith, Haynes Jones Harrison
Brown sound all right-especially at s.
per month?
If the baby premium plan is adopted by
the county commissioners the commission
ers will adopt a basis from which the
raises will be made. The suggestion
might be made retroactive in order that
court house babies born during the past
two years, which count in the present ad-
min1Strauon, will be reason for s. raises.
Another amendment would be to include
county officers along with the clerks, so
as to let the county attorney in on the s.
premium basis.
The commissioners last Friday asked the
State Journal to print the fact that the
commissioners were considering the plan
of boring for gas and oil the county
poor farm. 1t was the wish of the COM
missioners to get the fact before the peo-
pie to hear what the people have to say
on the subject This So baby premium
plan is printed for the same reason. What
do you. Mr. Taxpayer, think of Mr.
Sterne's propOsition?