The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-17
ABOLISH FEE SYSTEM
Hugh Mac FarIand Candidate
For Probate Judge
Believes All County Officers
Should Be On Salary
Instead of Fees.

Hugh MacFarland has announced
that he viii be a candidate for the
Office of probate judge of Shawnee
county, at the Republican primary to
/ be held in August, 1912, to succeed w
| f. Schoch. who is now serving his
! second term, having been twice elected
MacFarland comes out openly in
favor of salary law, putting all cOun-
ty officers on a salary and having all
fees turned into the county treasury.
1t has been generally known for a
! number of years that several county
officers were receiving from six to ten
| thousand dollars a year in fees, and
it has been the general opinion among
citizens and taxpayers of this COM
munfty that these officers were re-
ceiVing more than a fair and reason
able compensation for the services
they rendered to the county but this
system of fees has been such an easy
money making scheme for officehold-
ers that they have managed, with the
help of influential friends, to keep
down the agitation for a salary law
and so far have by their influence sue
ceeded in preventing the legislature
from enacting such a law. At the
last session of the legislature an effort
was made to pass a salary law. I'm
mediately there was a lobby set to
work against this bill which was near
~ as large as the legislature itself,
composed of county officers and inf1u-
entail friends. who succeeded in haV-
ing such a bill defeated.
MacFarland makes the assertion
and, he says, on reliable authority, that
the probate judge of this county has
for the past five or six years received
in fees each year in the neighborhOod
of $40, 600, all of which he keeps as his
salary under the present system.
1t is contended by MacFarland that
this office should be put on a fair
and reasonable salary, which should be
paid out of the county treasury and
that all the fees collected in this office
should be turned into the county
treasury. When this is done the cost
of administration of estates should be
reduced to the lowest possible cost con-
sistent with the well keeping of the
office, and costs charged only to the
amount that the office shall be self
sustaining.
Advocating this system, MacFarland
promises, if elected, to reverse the old
order Of things and instead of fighting
any change in the present fee system,
to 90 before the legislature and advo-
cate such a law and to use his influ-
ence in having the same passed.
Hugh MacFarIand is one of the
younger members of the legal profess
sion and is well known in this com
munity. He was a candidate for city
attorney four years ago and while he
has never been a candidate for a coun-
ty office he has been active in the
campaigns of several Republican coun-
ty officers and is known as a tireless
and energetic canApaigner
When asked about Judge Schoch's
candidacy, MacFarland said that he
did not know that Judge Schoch had
made any announcement that he would
be candidate for a third term, but
he believed Judge Schoch had been
amply rewarded by the Republican
party and by the people of Shawnee
county for his services by a term of
four years at salary of $4,000
year and that he hardly believed that
Judge Schoch would ask the Republi-
cans of this county to elect him a third
time for another two years." But
whether Schoch is a candidate or not,
he intends to make campaign for
this office that will open the eyes of
the people of Shawnee county as to
the salaries they are paying county Of
ficials and he desires to go on record
as advocating a straight salary for all
county officers.