The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-01-25
TO CUT SALARIES.
OF Benton Officials Bill introduced at
Salem Affects ali of Them.

Salem-AttectS all OF Them.
A bill to reduce the salaries of all
the officers of Benton county has
been introduced in the house at
Salem, The proposition is to cut
twenty per cent off the present sal
ary of each official, the law to take
effect at the end of the current
terms. 1t would make reductions
as follows: Sheriff, from 81, 900 to |
St, 600; clerk, from 81, 800 to ST.
44o; recorder, 81, 900 tossoo; coun-
ty judge, from 5000 to $40; treas
urer from $500 to $500; county
superintendent, from ST, 900 to$soo
The assessor pay usually ranges
from $500 to $3.50, and there is
provision in the bill for the salary
of that officer TO be cut with the
rest, at the rate of twenty per cent.
The present salaries Of the off
GERS are at point where they have
stood for a long time. The sher-
if' S pay ever since the time of
Peter Rickard in that Office has
been s., 900 per year with an al
lowance for a deputy only during
circuit court terms. In 1908, the
allowance for the deputy amounted
to $34.eI. For 1904, the allowance
was $40 90 for the year. The
practical condition is that the sher-
if receives $4,000 and pays his own
deputy. The cost of the deputy
hire amounts to several hundred
Idol1ars during the course of a year.
1t cost Peter Rickard 5000 per year
during the four years that he serv-
ed in the office. Sheriff Burnett
does not keep a regular deputy in
the Office but has one in every pre-
cinct in the county. BY reason of
| his long experience and fine ability
as an accountant and otherwise he
lis able with such help as he occas-
1ional1y provides at his own expense
to conduct the office on the $4,000.
i The proposal in the case Of the
Ic1erk is to cut the salary to $144o.
| Uuder the present arrangement the
Ipay is 81, 500, with an allowance
for deputy only during court
terms and in making up the extern
sions on the tax roll. The arrange
ment was made away back in the
1Hufford dynasty in the county
Judges Office. Before that, both
the sheriff and the clerk were each
/ allowed a deputy at county expense
! The court was of one political faith
however, and the sheriff and clerk
!. of another, and when a wave of
retrenchment struck the county,
the deputies were both cut off, save
the present small allowance The
deputy allowance in the clerk S
office amounts to about $175 per
year. In 1903, it was $I82; in
IIeo4, .$1S4. Clerk Moses pays his
deputy $500 per year, putting up
the extra amount of more than $500
out Of his own pocket.
/ In the recorders Office, there is
lno deputy allowance. The salary
is ST, 900, and it is always paid by
the public for recording deeds,
mortgages, and other documents
| The fees during the two years Of
Recorder Vincent's first term were
in round numbers, $2.25o, against
his salary of $4,000 for the years.
The fees received in the Office from
the 1st of July to January 1st, were
1$6I5.6o The salary for the period
was $500.
The treasurers salary is $500,
and it is proposed te reduce it to
$500. Treasurer Buchanan gives
a bond of $40, 900 and this bond
costs him 500 per year. AS the
actual salary received by the treas
urer weuld be $34o. The propasi-
ton is silly.
The aounty superintendent in
this new bill is to be cut from $I,-
900 to $500 per year. The super
intendent visits each school in the
county twice year. There are s.
schools and a trip to each of them
twice a year is said to involve about
4ooo miles of travelling.
1t is said to be the plan to with
draw the bills originally introduced
by the Benton members. These
were Carriers bill to cut the. salar
les of the county Judge and county
a superintendent, and Avery's bill
, abolishing the Office of county re
corder. It is supposed that the
new bill will pass. It is also sur
missed that in case it does, that
thereafter there will be allowances
for deputies in the principal Offices