Bisbee daily review., 1906-04-19
COSTS FOR THE COUNTY. AND NOTHING TO BE GAINED.


 The board of supervisors, acting upon the advice of the district attor- ney of Cochise county, Tom Fianni- gan Esq, at the session of ;he board of supervisors which has just come to close, refused to allow to the con stables and justices of the peace of Bisbee and Douglas the fees which have been a legal charge against the county in misdemeanor cases during all the time the present district at torney has been in office and for the preceding terms of all district attor- neys in the history of the county since Bisbee became an incorporated city.
 The Review is informed ttat fol lowing the usual custom O. the dis trict attorney of Ccchise county he failed to cite to the board any statute or authority of law for his opinion, but delivered it in his inimitable, off-hand style, accompanied by much pounding on the table and a waving of dark brown locks of hair.
 The question raised by the present district attorney of Cochise county is not something new. Fee bills have been held up before in an effort on the part of the board to reduce the jus tice court expenses of the county, but in each instance where the fees sought to be collected have been in accordance with the fee bill passed by the legislature, governing the of fees of justice of the peace and con stables, the court has in every in stance awarded to such officers the full amount of their claims and the cost of the experiment has been as- sessed against the county. the officer not only receiving his fees allowed him under the territorial statutes, but received in addition interest and costs.
 As pointed out in the Review few days ago. the fees allowed these of fcers are too liberal In large cities it gives justices of the peace and con stables the opportunity, of which they are not slow to take advantage, of earning between four and five thous and dollars per annum.
 THERE IS NOT A CITIZEN OF CO CHISE COUNTY WHO WOULD RE FUSE TO ACCEPT THE FEES AL LOWED HIM BY THE STATUTES. l
 The law gives these officers the op- portunity to make this much money. They are making it and will continue to make it until the legislature passes a new fee bill or places all officers, justices of the peace and constables, upon salary basis.
 The present effort of MT. Tom Elan nigan to bolster himself up politically by doing an economy stunt, wnien in the end vii! mean additional cusCs to the county, is a piece of cheap poli- tics It is rather late in the official career of the present district attorneE of this county. after having passed on these same fee bills for year and three months, to suddenly awaken to the conclusion that he has been>wrong all the time. The bills presented for fees by the peace officers in Bisbee and Douglas for the first quarter of 1906 are the same fees that have been presented for each quarter for the year 1905.
 Cochise county has been afflicted with an incompetent district attorney since January 1905. His official ca reer has been one long story or In- competence, non-attention to official duties, failure to try cases, lack of knowledge in drawing indictments, failure to collect evidence, succes- sion of dismissed cases upon the mo ton of the district attorney, after criminal cases had come on for trial in the district court: illegal opinions given the board of supervisors and a | general display of ignorance and in competence that is trueIy marvellous 1
 The district attorney of lCoch;se i county Is playing to the political gal