Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-07-15
FEE SYSTEM BILL IS
REFERRED BY SENATE
House Bill to Pay Teachers Is
ConCurred in With Amend
ment

By objecting to the bill to abolish
the fee system of compensating solicit
ors general on the ground that it's eff
feet on old insolvent costs claims might
make the law difficult of operation. the
opponents of the measure succeeded In
getting it referred to a special COM
mittee of three lawyer-senators, and
thus final consideration of the bill was
STAYED or still another day in the SEN
ate.
The bill was set for a special order
Wednesday morning, but before taking
it up the senate paused long enough to
hear the report of special committee
as to the majority which would be
necessary to pass it, and by the time
they decided on a question of consti-
tutionaI construction the hour of ad-
journment had arrived. And so the
DILL went over until Thursday. Now it
goes over again, and there is every in
dication of a stubborn fight on 1t In
the senate Friday.
Outside of concurrlng in the house
amendment to the McWilliams bill au-
thorizing county boards of education TO
borrow money to pay teachers salaries
and granting a great number of unani-
nous consents for one thing and aoth-
err durig the last half hour of the ses-
ing but discuss the fee system bill
Before taking up the bill by Senator'S
Gordy, Harrell and Womble to abolish
the fee system of compromising solicitors
general in Georgia, which had been
brought over as a special order Tor
Thursday morning, the senate voted TO
concur in the house amendment to the
McWiIliams BILL permitting county boards
of education to borrow money to pay
teachers, so that the boards shall not be
allowed to borrow in excess of the pub
lie school fund. The vote to concur was
q to o.
The authors of the fee system bill asked
the senate to consider an amendment be-
fore proceeding to the main discussion.
The amendment consisted of an additional
paragraph, providing that the fees now
paid to the solicitors be collected by the
clerks of superior courts, and paid into
the county treasures.
Senator Griffith, who recently declined
to be a candidate for solicitor in his
home county, objected to the amendment
on the ground that there is no law pre-
scribing the division Of fees between the
solicitors, sheriffs and clerks, but they
are divided simply by agreement.
Senator John NJ. Slaton proposed an
amendment to provide that the bill should
prevent solicitors general from receiving
such compensation in addition TO that
allowed by the bill, as the counties may
see fit to pay them, not in fees. but
straight salary.
He said the purpose of his amendment
was to preclude abrogating a special
act applying to Fulton county, whereby
the Fulton county solicitor is paid $4,000
per year for prosecuting felony cases,
the solicitors share Of misdemeanor fees
being heavily cut down by these cases
being disposed Of in the city court.
Senator Slaton stressed lie fact that
for the salary OF $4,000 prescribed by
the bill under consideration, 1t would
probably be impossible to get a man
o. the high ability required by the Of
flee Of solicitor in Fulton county.
In this connection he paid a compli-
ment to the splendid ability of Solicitor
Charles D. Hill. of Fulton county.
Senator Burwell urged the Importance
of ascertaining just what effect the bill
would have upon old insolvent costs
claims held against counties by former
solicitors He said If the bill would put
money into the county treasures which
former solicitors could come along and
and asked some senator TO make such
the bill Otherwise, he might be for the
bill. He wanted the bill referred to a
special committee to determine his point,
put IN CldlIuS against AC OPPS0~
motion.
Senator Slater said he knew Of sew
eral specific instances where old insol-
vent costs claims had been put in by
former solicitors, and been sustained by
the supreme court. He passed from this
to a speech against the bill. He argued
that solicitors if paid straight salaries
would not work so hard for convictions
as they do under the fee system.
Asked the direct question by Senator
Matthews If he thought solicitor should
have a money interest in convicting a
defendant, he frankly admitted he did
think So He illustrated his argument
by citing the federal district attorneys.
paid by salaries, who he declared, are
VIGOROUSLY Indifferent to the enforce
ment of the federal law. He further OBJ
jected to the bill on the ground that I'M
principled magistrates all over the state
would, If the bill were made law, Issue
warrants for the sole purpose of partic-
ipating in a division Of the costs fund.
MOTION TO REFER BILL.
At this Juncture discussion avs in
terrupted by a motion by Senator Price
to refer the bill to a special committee
of three lawyers.
Senator Harreu wanted to debate tina