New-York tribune., 1906-07-30
rFE SYSTEM UNDER FIRE
ra,elg To BE Thoroughly Aired
Hope of Changes.

E,ven. July % (SpeciaD.-The fee sys-
ear as il affects the probate courts Of the
has come under fire again. this time with
gu -~ohability that il viii be thoroughly aired
se :. Is dropped With that airing viii nee
-, come into the discussion the fee system
- which .he sherifPs Of the state thrive as
- ss the general arrangement OF salaries paid
=. state for its clerical, executive and Judi
2, ..rvices. The whole subject has been one
-. has received sporadic attention lately.
me reason or another there has developed in
.ste a systeul-so called-of recompense for
-. service which is admitted to have its weak
80 bv its most ardent defenders. and ~
-, worse things are said by its most vigorous
IS Together with the financial end Of the
.e.ion Il would not be at all unlikely wore
- more searching questions asked. There is
,.-ra and increasing number of lawyers in all
- If the state who believe that no one de-
F..--,snt in the state needs more careful over
s..l.nr than the probate judgeships. The larger
-,bsta districts. where the Office business OF a
.,.ssty has been conducted with close regard
!. ssslness principles being left out of account
'..,s Is A disposition 10 open the probate condi-
a,,s in the smaller towns, many Of which have
!, psrmittsd their business to go at loose ends
=, something akin to chaos is alleged to exist
wsbe agitation which has begun on the probate
:. system were 10 extend to the more general. If
-,t more important. question of the prevailing
.,,stions in the system itself. and a public
-s,sure were framed to meet those conditions
!. ,ext Legislature might be called on to face
,-s of the most interesting situations in a
decade
TIE present reopening Of the probate fee sys-
mn is due 20 the retirement of Judge Freeman
n Hartford Now that a successor to Judge
Frssman Is 10 be elected 20 the probate bench in
.st CITY, the advocates OF reform in The fee sys-
,,n. by which the Office has been paid. have be-
rm 70 talk Il has been currently understood
,sat the probate courts in the larger districts
lnTe paid from $4,000 10 s20oG0 year from the
sss received. II has been a cause of much
citioism trat tile salary Of the Governor of the
safe should be less than half of the lower Of
these tVo estimates. and that of the judges of
he higher courts slightly in. excess OF that half
Il hss uot been shown to the satisfaction Of the
ssvosstes Of change why the Supreme Court
Judges should receive from so 10 100 per cent
ss in annual recompense for their public SER
rics than the judges of the probate courts in the
hEer districts.
L is beng suggested that wholesome reform
n The present arrangement would be to rear
EHge the entire salary and fee system Of the state
il the order Of importance in service rendered.
II thar case and were such a reform brought
about. the fee system would necessarily be aboI-
shsd--as II has been in the incomes of the Su-
Tsrior Court clerks-and a graduated system
adopted in its place. Then. il is argued, the
Ftse could pay in proportion to the services rem
dged The governorship. being the highest
ahcs in the gift Of the people, would receive
commensurate salarv-and a higher salary for
ne Governor has been more than once advo-
catsd by incumbents Of that office; the higher
court judges would follow with commensurate
Earies-lnuch higher than are now paid; the
!ldgeg Of the lower cOurts-includng the pro-
ts,s-the sheriffs OF the various counties and the
ztre clerical force attached to these Offices
E'uld follow in decreasing incomes and in order
4 Importance. As the case now stands, come
1Eer court clerks receive annually more than
TIE Governor; some clerks receive as much as if
aot more than the judges under whom they