The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-25

lllal lfle next SlleTlIl l1lCOHe Will Dc
cut down at least s12, 900 year unless there
is an awful increase in crime and arrets
was revealed by Sheriff Higdon last
night 1t will be caused by the cutting
out of the turnkey fee beginning with
the term of the next sheriff. The in
teresting part of the whole matter is
that the candidate for this office are APP
parently unaware of this fact
An act of the legislature in 1907 cut out
the turnkey fee, which amounts to 81,
there being a charge of 81 for locking up
a prisoner and another charge of 81 for
releasing HIM This act could not, of
course, go into effect during Sheriff Hig-
dons term it being contrary to law to
change an office-holder's pay during his
term.
Apparently there are but few people
who know of the passage of the act
act cutting out the turnkey fee," said
Sheriff EIigdon. Il thought it was gen
orally known but when each candidate
for the office began to carry on to such
an extent against the fee system 1 was
struck with the realization that none of
them know of this statute.
1T is indeed a serious proposition and
a matter which. each man should think
over well before announcing himself as
a candidate. The sheriff has to pay out
an extremely large amount of money and
he is put to expense which the average
man would never think would come up,
and a reduction of at least $4,000 a year
will make it necessary for him to hus-
tie in order to make ends meet.
MY belief is that the county will prob
ably suffer from the cutting out of the
turnkey fee because it will make it worth
dollar more to the sheriff to accept a
bond than to lock man up. Under the
new law there will be the same fee of
81 for an arrest and should the man be
locked up there is no additional fee. If
he is allowed to make bond however the
fee of 81 for the bond will be allowed the
sheriff. 1t is true that the fee for
rests in felony cases was increased from
81 to 81 but as 95 per cent of the arrests
are for misdemeanor offenses the amount
received by this increase will hardly make
an impression on the great amount lost
by the cutting out of the turnkey fee.
"At present the county loses great
deal by forfeited bonds and we don't
take any one on a bond unless they show
up as exceptionally good on the tax
books. When the fact is realized that
the sheriff will receive n Dollar more by
taking bond than for locking the man
up deputies who happen to be a distance
away will hardly be so strict in requir-,
ing good bondsmen and the county will
undoubtedly lose much in this way.
There are many reasons why a gen.
eral fee system should be abolished but
it is a ticklish proposition and unless an
exceptionally good scheme is devised the
county will be the loser by adopting the
salary basis.
'The turnkey fee should not in any way
be abolished, but in case a salary and ex-
pense system is adopted it should be
required and the money derived from it
placed in the general fund. So far as
any of the present fees are concerned I
don't think any of them should be cut
out.
IF a salary basis is to be arrived at
would suggest that the sheriff be plac-
ed on a good salary and provision made
for the better payment of deputies. I
am paying from 40 to 60 per cent more
than to my deputies than was paid by
any other sheriff, and yet some of them
should be even better paid. Then l think
some arrangement under that system
should be made holding the deputies re-
sponsble for the bonds they accept.
The mistake in fighting the fee sys-
tenn lies in the cutting out of the fees
charged to the people. This money is
needed by the county and it should be
so arranged that they would go into a
general fund out of which the expenses
would be borne. This would soon enable
the county to pay cash to its witnesses
for their time and railroad fare. instead
of handing them scrip which they have
to sell for % to so cents on the dollar.
'Then every plaintiff in a damage suit
should be required to make bond to bear
all of the costs of his suit In case he
much business around the courthouse and
there would be no complaint about the
courthouse being too small to accomo-
date the business. Unless this Is done it
gill be found that the general public is