The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1907-07-04
az AAp sALARY sYsrEMs.

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M
The Nd olk-yirginian-Pilot Of re.
cent date had an editorial on the fee
system as operated in that state,
from which the following is taken.
There are Offices in Virginia today
imposing no great responsibility upon
their incumbents. and the proper dis
charge Of whose duties requires no
special training or ability, which
carry salaries. under the fee system,
two or even three times as large as
that paid the governor. the chief jus
tioe Of The supreme court as.appeals,
or the chairman Of the pratiou
commission. This condit 49,
is surely an interesting SSIEentary
on Virginia's sense Of the 6tness Of
things.
The next legislature could per
form no better service for the state
than to abolish the fee system alto
gether, placing gerry oGice. from the
highest 10 the est upon a reason
able salary b9is and requiring all
fees to be qAerad into tn" public
4 treasury rt from other consid-
eraaons. q Of what the money
SO saved would accomplish for vir-
ginia if expended on the public
schools or IN road bailding."
The Manufacturers Record. com
meating upon this. declares that il
is a reflection Of the rottenncss Of
politics, from which even Virginia.
as well as many another state, is not
exempt, and adds chat properly man,
aged, as any ordinarily successht6
business corporation must be. almost
any state could, without increasing
the burdens Of taxation, have money
ebougla to build good roads every
vhereh establish and maintain schools
of eve 81 sort and do everything else
for th@ betterment Of the state.
Who Sler or not this is going too
far, ce&ainly the abolition Of the fee
system and the establishment of
reguI& salaried system, as suggest. /
ed%@oe d result in great financial
Benefit a state The governors /
Of states Vudges Of the supreme court
and other high officials are paid sal
aries and are held directly resDon-
sihle for the proper performance OF
their duties Surely if these officers /
can be trusted TO perform their
duties on a salary basis. others who
are now under the fee system could
also be-
There is no question chat in almost
every part Of the south the fee sys-
tenn has been greatly abused The
people have to pay these fees, direct
~ or indirectly A large number of
these officers do not angling like
earn their pay Many Of them take
advantage Of the opportunity offered
for vicious practices Of various kinds
AS the Manufacturers Record says.
The south needs to arouse itself ON
this momentous subject" and sug
gests that in this day Of awakening
public conscience to a demand to ad
vance the cities in morality, the
south should take hold with great
vigor of the questions of public
economy and fundamental honesty in
county, city and state affairs involved
in the fee system, and lead the way
In providing that in cases whore fees
are the most convenient means Of
payment for public service, the fees
should be turned into the county
treasury and the servants Of the peo'
pie be paid from the treasury in
salaries,
There is a great deal Of good sense
in this, and the south would be dis
tinctly benefited if such system
were substituted for the fee system
as now operated and which is a fruit
.tul source of injustice and abuse.