The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1905-01-19
Salaries and Fees.

OldlC lItheuIFI pltrtBi Sanity 1EJDJ
A jutsnt general, present salary, $3.50.
Attorney general, proposed salary,
$1,000; present salars. $1,000 aud fees.
superintendent public buildings, pre-
ent salary, 1920.
Warden State prison, present salary,
$500
Insurance commissioner, proposed .al-
airy, $500; deputy sl200; present sal
airy, $500.
Bank examiner, proposed salary $1,000
and actual expenses, present salary,
$500
Land agent and forest Commissioner.
proposed salary, $500; present salary,
$1,000
Commissioner Of industry aud labor,
$500.
Superintendent OF schools. $500
Commissioner of sea and shore fisher
les. $1,000.
Liquor agent, $1,000.
Commissioner OF agriculture, $500.
Inland fish aud gam commissioners,
proposed salary, chairman $500; third
member, $1,000; present salary, $1,000
each.
Railroad commissioners, present sal
airy, 82500 for chairman and $1,000 for
others.
State assessors, $1,000.
Private secretary 10 governor, $1,000.
Deputy secretary of State, $500
Clerk OF board of assessors, $1,000.
Members of council, So per day and
actual expenses.
State examining boards, So per day
and actual expenses.
Trustees and visiting committees, 50
| per day and actual expenses.
The report further recommends salar-
les for the county officers Of the l6
counties of the State. Those reeommen-
dations for Somerset county are:
Clerk of courts, $500; Clerk, $500;
county attorney, 500; register of pro
bate, $500; register of deeds, $1,000 :;
clerk, $500; sheriff, $500; treasurer,
800. The report faVors straight sal
airy for county commissioners in all
counties.
The report is an important one, as it
abolishes the fee system for all State
and county officers, substituting direct
salary and providing that office fees
whenever any are collected, shall be
paid into the State or county. The COM
mittee was appointed at the last legisla-
ture and their tour of The State aud the
facts and figures CLEANED are contained
in the report.
The committee handle the railroad
pass feature without gloves as follows:
"Betore proceeding in detail, we deem
1t proper ut this time to touch upon ii
general question of some dehcacy, but
of grave import, not from "A financial
view, but from the point If direct prac.
tice. We refer TO the use Of passes by
pubic officials, and the charging by
them of transportation expenses to the
State. Not every State officer who trav-
els free charges travelling expenses, but
many Of them do. With the pass sys-
TEN as n whole the committee feel that
they have no authority to deal, but
when the pass becomes perquisite, or
at least the equivalent OF perquiste,
we feel it our duty and certainly within
our province, to speak fearlessly and in
language not capable of mlsinterpreta-
ton. When the law provides, as it does
in many cases, that public servant re-
ceive a certain fixed salary and actual
travelling expenses, what reason can he
assign, except the general prevalence OF
the practice, for receiving from the State
more than he actually expends while go
ing about in the performance of his du
ties; thus swelling his offieal cOmpensa-
ton from the courtesies protiered by
powerful corporations which are seek
ing many favors and special privileges
from the government TO whose service
he should dedicate his best efforts. We
are not criticizing the granting Of such
privileges to corporations, In many in
stances they tend to the permanent up
building and prosperity of our State.
What we do say is that an officer should
not profit by free pass al the expense
of the people. In justice to the officials,
however, let US say right here that from
no quarter, especially from the members
of this committee, comes The slightest
Information that their acts are conscious
ly Influenced in any degree by these PER
qusites. AS a recommendation coming
clearly within our jurisdiction, designed
10 remedy an evil suffered too long to
exist, making for civic purity and cfli-
cial integrity, W. submit for respec ful
consideration. providing that all State
and county uaieiHls entitled to be reim-
hursed for expenses, shall render an
itemiz d account Of the same, and make
oath that it includes only cash outlay
Regarding fish and game, the report
says: 1.-THE committee recommend that
the chairman Of he commissioners of in
land fisheries and game receive an an
nual salary or 81 500; he third member,
$1,000 and no other compensation TO
either. Under section - of chapter 81
Of the Revised Statutes 81 provision is
made that the Governor and Council
may allow the commissioners extra com
pensatiOn for services performed by
them under the act providing for the
licensing of nonresident hunters. Ia
1909 the allowance was $1,000 each for
the chairman In addition to his salary.
making II total of $4,000 each year. The
land agent, whom we designate for the
purpose OF this report as the second
member of the board, received 5000 for
such extra services in 1903. We recon-
mend that the land agent, forest COM
missioner and members OF the commits
sioDers of inland fisheries and game,
combining the three positions in one
man, receive an annual salary Of 81 800
and no allowance under section y of
chapter 80 Of the Revised Statutes"
Councillors are given, by the proposed
law. s. a day and actual expenses, in
stead Of mileage, and on this report says
"Inequalities produced by the present
law need no other illustration than this:
A member Of the council from point IN
the State furthast from the capital would
draw about SIS for attendance upon
each meeting after the adj urnment Of
the legislature, while a member from
Augusta would receive only 81.
In discussing the office and fees re-
ceived by the Secretary of State and
attorney general, the committee recon