Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-12-31
To Abolish Fee System.

Governor Cr0thers Commission on the
Fee System and the Salaries of Public
officials, of which State Senator Charles
P. Coady, of Baltimore, is chairman. has
submitted report to the Governor recon-
mending the abolition of fees for the pay
ment of all public officials and suggesting
that their salaries be fixed by law.
The report. which was drafted by Sena-
tor Coady, contains much information con-
corning the pay of officials in other States
! and shows that the general tendency is to
abolish the fee system,
1t is recommended that in addition to
placing the sheriffs on regular salaries
their terms be made four years instead of
two years, as is the present term.
At the last session of the legislature
Senator Coady introduced and had passed
law providing that the appraisers of the
Orphans Court of Baltimore be paid regu-
lar salaries instead of by fees. Under the
law four appraisers were appointed at
$1,000 a year each. AS result for the
first year $6,66S.75 in fees was turned
over to the State Treasurer in excess of
the salaries paid to the appraisers This,
the commissioners say, shows what saw
ing the abolition of the fee system means
to the State.
In discussing the question and making
its recommendations the commission makes
the following statement:
THE present system of permitting Off
Gals to pay themselves and their subordi-
mates from the fees collected by them
turning the excess, if any, into the State
Treasury, is wrong in principle and in
practice.
ut is a vicious system. without regard
to the character of the office, and it is an
inherently bad system when applied to pub
lie service of any kind, and has tended and
must necessarily tend to lower the admin
istraton of any office. If secrecy is added
to the system. as it is in most cases, and
it is impossible for the public to gain an
adequate idea of the amount received by
its public officials, the system has a ten
dency to demoralize the public service,
The public has right to know, and
should know, the exact income of all its
offices. 1t should know exactly what re-
Enumeration is received by its servants, and
the kind and character of the work per
formed by them. so that il might deter
mine for itself whether such remuneration
is fair and proper or not The people can
safely be trusted to be fair and to give
their public officers such compensation as
will amply repay them, according to the
work and responsibility of their offices.
There should be no secrecy with respect
to such incomes. This system tends to en-
courage the multiplication of needless of
fees and encourages charging the public
large and unnecessary fees
This commission believes that the sala-
ries paid our public officials. those whose
salaries are fixed and who do not receive
fees, are in most cases satisfactory and
reasonable.
I'VE recommend change in the Consti-
tuition of the State. giving to the legisla-
ture the power and authority to pass loca
or special laws to grade the compensation
| of clerks of courts, registers of wills. sher-
ifs and States attorneys. in proportion
to the work of their offices, and the neces-
sary services required of them. The term
of the sheriffs should be extended to fOuI
years. The number of the deputies and
| assistants and subordinates of all kinds
employed by clerks of courts, sheriffs, reg
listers of wills, States attorneys and theiI
compensation should be fixed by law.
IAN fees of every kind received by said
officials should be turned directly into the
State Treasury, and the salaries of said
officers and their subordinates should be
paid directly to them from the Treasury Of
the State.
"All such officers should be required tc
file quarterly in the office of the State
Comptroller sworn statements of the re.
ceipts and expenses of their offices.
I'VE also recommend, as has been recon-
mended by Mr.. Ash, the State auditor, an
up-to-date. comprehensive system of book
keeping in these offices, and this system
should be uniform throughout the State
The books should be furnished by the
State, and it should be made plain to
those holding such offices that in no case
should the same be considered their pri-
vate property. but, on the contrary. they
should be made to understand that they
are public records, and as such belong to
the State, and should in no case be de-
stroyed or removed by such public serv-
ants upon the expiration Of their term OF
office"