The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-03
KIRK QUESTIONS
FEE SYSTEM IN
PROBATE COURT
Judge Miller Explains Finan-
! cial Needs of His In
stitution.
STEIBER QUESTIONED
ON APPRAISAL BOARD
City Court Only Paying Depart
ment of Municipal Gov
eminent.

Ill Id
came before the board last night.
Judge Miller said the system under
which his office was conducted was
not established by himself.
May I ask what the income Of
your Office is? queried Commission
er Buechler. thereby provoking a gem
eral laugh.
'That is a thing that isn't generally
known. replied Judge Miller. Il
might say he added. that up to
date it hasn't been SO very large
s'Is there any reason why the city
of Bridgeport should bear the sole
expense of providing you with an Of
dce?'' asked Commissioner Kirk.
ssShouldn't thee other towns in this
district bear q proportionate shareRof
the expense of maintaining that Of
Judge Miller said the other towns
in the district had so little business
that what part of the expense they
might bear would be very small. He
explained that there was $3.50 due
fees from insane paupers committed
from Lalkeview home shortly before
the demise Of the Judge.
.sUhe Incumbent of this Office said
Judge Miller, pays for all the clerical
work and much of the other expense
out of the fees he receives. He takes
a gamble that he will make enough
to pay himself q, fair salary. In many
| cases he RENTS fees where people
are poor and he aids the poor in
other ways. He sees more of the
seany side of life than most any
or misfortune Of some one which
brings business to his court
The Judge said that the telephone
In his office was purely for the ac-
mmodation of the public and as
far as he was concerned he could
/ crof on r To
the city should pay for the phone if
it stayed in.
st still think the Zee system in your
office should be abolished and the
once placed on a salary basis, !, said
Commissioner Kirk. Judge Miller
said that most Of the estates which
came through the Office were less
than 81 1000 and by law he could not
charge more than SO fee in each
Of these eases and this barely paid
-FOUR or five volumes for records were
used In the office each year These
] record Volumes cost 500 each
Clerk stefber OF the board Of APP
praisa1 Of benefits and damages told
/ the board that he had 50 many no
was deficiency OF $223. IS. He said
his. board had cleared UP IL years
| business in the past yeaE.
Well, when you finish this year I
/ suppose we can abolish your office,
can't we Pr asked Commissioner Loe-
would like to see the office abolished
until his term had expired, at least
He said the board expected to have
more business next year. The total
appropriation asked for this year is
$4,613.83. which includes the salaries
of the three members at 5000 each
| and that of the clerk at $500.
| THE work of the board of contract
and supply is increasing every year =
declared DR.. Robert J. Lynch, presi-
dent of the board. I'VE shall have
/ to get another stenographer soon,.'
he continued.
Il This year the board wants SIS, 500.
Including $3.50 for extra help during
the year.
1 Town Clerk Schultz is not likely to
q he asked the board of apporti onment
for $4,000 The town clerk told the
board last night that the present sys-
tenn OF recording deeds is antiquated
and that lawyers and title searchers
complain constantly, that. it is too
/ cumbersome.
The town clerk asks for a total of
+ SIG, 228.89s for his office including the
= $4,000 for the index
A much larger amount for person
al damage claims will be needed this
year than was granted last year, ac-
chairman of the claims committee.
i The alderman said that already this
year claims aggregating $3.50 for falls
on icy sidewalks have been filed with
the city clerk. Last year 800 was
i granted for this purpose. This year
the board wants $1,000. Altogether
the COMMITTEES asks for $13,572.
1.-THE city court is the only paying
department of the city government =
said Judge Thomas C.<Coughlin of the
items of his requisition. st am on
posed to increasing the appropriations
OF nya, department this year. This
is. a time when we should economic,
that is why I am opposed to grant
ing $25, 900 for branch library sites
at this time.
In the city court requesition the
s fees for the probation officers are in
s creased from $1,000 last year to ST.
900 this year. This means an in
crease in salary for Rev. C. w Simp-
son, the male probation officer.
The salaries of the city court Off
GERS remain the same. The total OPP
preparation asked for this year is ST.
$50.
Tax Collector Howard J. smith, now
designated to collect the personal tax,
has asked for 50, 9O2. 10 for the purpose.
This includes salaries of extra clerks
to make out bills and the stationery
and postage.
Members of the board of apportion-
ment were much surprised last night
to learn that the registrars of voters
are required by law to make a canvass
and compile lists of persons liable to
personal tax. They had an item in
their requisition for this purpose,
which read, by agreement with Mayor
Wilson, 81, 1902 Commissioner Sher-
man asked if this. compiling could not
be done by the extra clerks in the tax
collectors office. Registrar Lounsbury
said the registrars would be glad
have the work done in some other Of
flee but the law said they alone should
j do it. According to the figures the