The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-01-12
NEWC0UN'T'Y|ll' GARD.
49, e : - $500 = ,N5
ANNUAL MEETING DEVELOPS I'M
TERESTlNG DISCUSSIONS. 5:

:. TERESTlNG DISCUSSIONS. ::
Salary Question the Bone of Conten:
ton, the Board Being Very Liberal
in the Matter. The Only. Changes
We're to Grant Better Pay. 4
Elected c. j. johnson chairman.
Made no change in the county attor-
ney's salary, $1,000.
Fixed the county superintendent
salary as $500 aud expenses, formerly
$3.50 only.
Appropriated $500 for clerk hire for
the county treasurer.
County physicians salary continued
at $500.
Appointed Gust T. Nelson janitor at
an increased salary OF $50 month.
Voted 800 month for the aid of Gus
Olson.
Designated the. Cook County Herald
as the official paper.
Called a mass meeting for February
22nd to consider the question of organ
ing an agricultural society. $
Appointed township officials for unor-
ganized territory.
The foregoing constitutes practically
all of the business transacted by the
new county board, which held it's first
session at the court house Tuesday at
ternoon.
All the memt ers were present. The
new board contains but two members
G. J. johnson and G. A. A. Neison-who
were members of the old board, which
was legislated out Of existence. The
other members are N. J. Bray, Hans
Gulbransen and w. C. Smith.
Previous to the meeting of the new
board the old board held it's closing SEES
sion, at which bonds of several of the
incoming county officials were approved;
that OF the county treasurer was fixed
at $4,000, an increase of $1,000, and the
clerk of COURTS bond was fixed at $1,000.
The report of the board of audit was re-
ceived and adopted and other business
of a routine nature disposed Of On &C
count OF sickness Commissioner Plante
was absent from the closing session of
the retiring board.
The new board met Tuesday afternoon
and organizedby electing G. J. johnson
chairman. It's business was conducted
expeditlous|y, so that il 's'work was COM
pleted that afternoon:
The question of salaries gave rise 60
! some interesting discussions; the princi-
pal contention being upon the attor-
ney's salary. the first to be considered.
1t was understood that an effort would
he made to have this salary reduced.
When the question came up: County
Attorney McAlpine asked that the sala-
ry be raised to 81 ,200 The request was
made presumably not with the idea that
it would be granted but for the purpose
! of counteracting the effect of the antici-
pated move to have the salary reduced.
In support of the request Mr.. McAlpine
addressed the board at some length, re-
| viewing IN detail the criminal legal work
of the county for past years. And he
stated that during the present year, be.
cause the law does not provide for such
contingencies. he will probably have
| to pay out of his own pocket at least
QO00 ~ of -,
collecting evidence, etc, in criminal
cases with which his Office has to deal.
| Commissioner Bray not only opposed
an increase but was in favor of reducing
the salary. He called attention to the
financial statement for last and preced-
ing years to show that the revenues of
the county do not meet the running ex-
penses. Tt we continue thus there can
be but one result-bankrnptcy. Econo-
my, therefore, is necessary. He believed
in paying public officials literally, but
he would not pay any man, even if it
was his brother or his father, more for
bis work than 1t is worth to the county.
We ought to run the public business as
we do our own private business. And
he said this would be bis policy it he
stood alone to the end OF his term of
Office. He considered the salary hereto
fore paid the county attorney exorbi-
tant. He could name good many
counties in this state, any IT which has
a larger population than Cook, that pay
much smaller salara1es to their county
attorneys. His remarks were inper-
sonal, he declared. He meant no dis
paragement of the present county attor-
ney. But the services OF no attorney in
! the state in performing. the necessary
Elexalwork of the county could be worth
$1,000: He considered that $500 would
be good pay. He would add $500 more
for the honor attached to the office; and
he, therefore, moved that the = county
ot+1r,o1,o .,1o ~, lo Hvo1 ~ ocOn