Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-02-08
SALARIES OF COUNTY OFFICIALS.
Interesting Hearing Before the Legis-
tive Committee at Augusta.

~'~~~r6
tive Committee at Augusta.
Last " edDe day at ernoon The commit
tee on salaries of the Maine legislature
gave q hearing to officials and others OF
Hancock county on the matter Of salaries
OF county officials,
In behalf OF tie Hancock county dele
CATION, A. W. King. of Ell sgortb, said he
believed In fair end liberal compensation,
but commemorate with duties OF the
Office. The Hancock county delegation
had agreed upon their resi- ective salaries.
Bedford e. Tracy, OF Winter Harb Der, read
revolutions passed relative to salaries In
sffect as follows: That of county com
missioners $500; clerk OF courts q 500 aud
5000 for clerk hire; registry OF deeds 81 500
and 81 600 for clerk hire; county treasurer
$500; judge probate 81 800; register OF
probate q 100, cerk hire $500; sheriff
81 800.
Judge e. e. Chase, of Bluehill, spoke In
behslf OF the county commits sioners' wor k
there. He spoke Of the importance OF the
valuation OF the town OF Eden as COM
pned with other parts of the State He
spoke of the arduous and impo tsnt work
| OF the county commissioners, snd said thst
the $500 asked for was not exorbitsnt.
He spoke OF the eighteen State road in
Hancock county, and that ony four OF
these towns IN be Tesc lod by raiit oads.
Actual cash Expenses should b. allowed.
"The county commission RS OF your
county," said Mr. Weeks, "iecsive the
highest compensation OF sny in the State,
| $3.50 day and ten cents for &C. uai travel"
Judge Chase ackno wledged thst, and said
TINT the State road movement had great y
benefi ed Hancock county.
A. W. King, in behalt of the clerk OF
courts OF Hancock county, said that he
| considered s2 500 only just sum on
account OF tue Importance of the Office.
Representative O'Brien, OF Lewiston,
member Of the committee, called attention
| to the differences between Hancock aud
| AndroscoRgin in law cases, and that the
clerk OF courts of Androscoggin county
was satisfied with e COO yearly salary.
| The record shows that the ERIK OF courts
| OF Hancock got 81 SS7 In 1908.
| The register OF deeds asked for no in
| Cto7Sc out tu tAtha VI " WV ioh
clerk hire. he cal ed attention to he fact
that the recorded pages are larger than In
any county in the State
The increase OF 500 in the offics OF
couuty treasurer Is commensurate with
| his increased duties, and that the 81 800
asked for the judge OF probate is moi
exorbitaut.
County Attorney Charles II. Wood, Of
Bar Harbor, said that 81 800 was not toe
large for the C ERIK OF courts.
Hon. Oscar F. Fellows, speaker Of the
last in1ep e; spok" Of the extensive work In
the register OF probste's office, and thai
the request Of the delegation as agreed
UPON was ast IN unreasonable one, snt
there Is necessity for 500 for clerk hire
which is eliminated in Tbs proposed saiar!
fixed by the salaries committee.
Senator E. =. Clark, OF Bar Harbor
favored the salary ask sd for.
Mr.. Weeks rema ked that the commit
tee had dealt more literally with Hsncocl
than with'any other county.
In the course OF the conversation Sena
tor Clark remarked that he thought yer.
likely IL the salary system is adopted, tn
State viii be back to the fee system within
five years.