The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-11
FEE
SYSTEM BILL
OF S|NGLETARY
REPRESENTATIVE FRED. FEE OF
ST. LUcIE SETS FORTH HIS
REASONS FOR NOT WANTING
TO CHANGE PRESENT SYSTEM
OF PAYING COUNTY OFFICIALS.
Bv j. n, Reese,

Tallahassee, April 10.-Representa-
tive Fred Fee Of st. Lucie county is
not opposed to the fee system, which
is logically not to be wondered at.
Perhaps it should be more precisely
stated that Representative Fee is OPP
posed to the Singletary bill abolish
ing the fee system. He is not to say
in favor of the fee system, but he is
against the changes suggested by Mr..
Singletary.
at think it viii work unevenly and
unjustIy in all the small counties"
said Mr.. Fee this morning. There
are a number of reasons why this
appears to be the probability. In the
first place. if the fee system is abol-
ished and the officers are put under
salary the character Of the public ser
vice depreciates at once. I don't know
that l could prove the assertion, but
1 will venture that the public service
loses 25 per cent in efficiency as COM
pared with private business; that is
to say, when man gets on the pub
lie pay roll he brings to bear Is per
cent less of force and efficiency than
he put into his private business. The
fee system is not perfect and is I'M
doubtedly in need of some reforms,
but do not think they viii be gained
under the changes proposed. I am not
criticising the Singletary bin particu-
larly; I am commenting upon the
principle If the cderk of the court,
for example, is put on Rsalary of
twelve hundred dollars year he is
to be provided with the help he needs
The likelihood is that he viii find ii
necessary to have enough help to do
all the work so that he can devote
his time, or the greater part of it, to
some other work. Then, again, 1t
might work the other way; it will be
left with the county commissioners
to say how much help he needs, and it
may be that the commissioners would
not give him the actual help he needs,
and the usefulness of the office would
be impaired in this wise.
Another objection is that as soon
as the fee system is knocked out the
Office holders will have no interest
in making revenue and the tendency
will be to reduce the fees to a level
below that required, or allowed by law,
and favorftes will be played. There
will be a lack of uniformity, and in
stead of becoming a revenue producer
the changed system would, in my
opinion, operate as burden to the va
rious counties.
Again, there is great difference
in the amount of work to be done in
counties that will come under the
same class. Take a county in this
section of the state and pit it against
a county in my section. There is much
more litigation there, the courts hold
longer sessions than they do here,
putting great deal more work on
the court officers, and yet their COM
pensation would be in the same class
with one of the upper state counties.
Herein would be an example Of the IN
fairness that the measure would
work
'To abolish the fee system might
be a good thing for the larger coun-
ties. I don't say 1t would not be,
but I am certain that the smaller
counties would suffer by It."
Mr.. Fee is a lawyer of FIT Pierce.
He was county judge for two years,
and is one of the forceful young mem
bers of the house. He has bin
providing for the increase of pay of
county commissioners and bill look
ing to the introduction of the referen-
dunn in the primary system. He says
he is afraid of the general referendum
on accoutn Of the negro.