Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-15
PUTS $4,000 IN
HAMMEL'S s PURSE
EXTRA FEES ADD LARGELY TO
SHERlFF'S EMOLUMENTS
Change in Law Was Made by Legis-
Iature Year Ago and Becomes
Effective With Next Ad-
ministration

According to a statement made yes
terday by officials at the county court
house the next sheriff when he as
sumes the duties of his Office will
learn that a pleasant surprise has
been awaiting him in the form of ex-
ira fees, which 1t is said will amount
to many thousand dollars a year, ap-
proximately $4,000, making the office
of sheriff one of the best, IL not the
best, paid office in the state.
And the particularly pleasing part of
the affair in the case of Billy Ham
mel will be that the extra fees will be
presented to him while there can be
no blame attached for his acceptance
Hammel had nothing to do with a
small clause cut out of the old law
by a recent legislature which SO
changed the fees from the sheriff s
departments throughout the state as to
admit of the extra money going into
into the county Golfers, as the case had
been heretofore.
Amounts to Thousands
Yesterday Assistant District Attor-
ney Hartley Shaw, who handles the
legal work of the county supervisors,
stated that the extra fees to be turned
over to the sheriff by virtue of the new
laws will amount to thousands of
dollars.
According to his statement the
change in the law was made by the
Legislature about year ago and will
go into effect with the coming ad-
ministration.
The former law held that it was the
duty of the sheriff to serve legal pa
pers, receiving as compensation rail-
road fare to and from destination and
fees on all cases handled by local
courts.
When a number of papers were sent
here from other counties to be served
the sheriff received the regular fee
from the plaintiff in the case, his rail-
road fare from the county and an ex-
ira fee of 25 cents mileage to and from
the point where the service was to be
made.
That last amount was turned over to
the county. The old law read that
the extra fee was to be given in all
cases from courts outside the county.
Phrase Chopped Off
The last phrase, according to the
statements of Legislators, has been
chopped off and the law now reads that
the extra mileage shall be given in all
cases so that when the officers go to
Pomona or other points in the county
to serve the papers which have to be
served every day. the sheriff will re-
ceive the extra mileage and is author
lied to pocket it.
The law was hurried through by
various representatives of sheriffs
throughout the state, many of them
hoping for the extra term to help out
with the big fund.
In Los Angeles it is said that Sher-
iff White had practically nothing to do
with the passing of the new law and
Billy Hammel, the sheriff to be, will
receive the extra fees.
Similar laws were passed in the east
many years ago until the sheriff's Of
flee of New York paid about $4,000 a
year in fees. Then the fees were or
dered turned over to the county and
the sheriff's salary fixed at a rather
high figure so as not to detract from
the value and importance of the
office.
The fees for the local office have
been increased at a remarkable rate
in recent years because of the enor-
nous amount of court work and the
office with the new law will be one of
the best paying in the state.
oS~op-