The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-07-31

quarter of these fees.
The regular force Of clerks and their
salaries are as follows:
Chief clerk, James w. Hanson, a
brother of the Land Commissioner
$4,000.
Assistant clerks, Arthur Hrader. of
Annapolis, and William G.. Dawson. of
Cambridge, 81, 300 each.
Index clerks, Martin w. Goldsbor-
ough, of Princess Anne, brother of
the Governor, and Charles N. Handy
and William H. Leonard, both of Cam
bridge, 81 900 each.
In addition to the regular force of
clerks the last Legislature authorized
the employment during the present
year of two special index clerks. one
at 1,200 and one at $1,000.
1t will be seen that, including the
fees paid in the last fiscal year to the
Land Comimsoisner, that officer and
his regular clerks received 0,20S.29.
Against that the State received from
the Land Commissioner in that year
S1,S5076, being the fees of the office
after deducting the Commissioner
one-quarter. These figures, of course,
do not indicate the cost of the office
for the present fiscal year. because
they do not include the $4,000 for the
two special index clerks.
There is no reason why there should
be Land Commissioner or why there
should be so many clerks to perform
the work of the office. 1t is entirely
feasible to give the custody of the rec
ords and the performance of the other
duties of the Office into the hands of
some other official of the State, such
as the Secretary of State. That would
eliminate the Land Commissioners
salary. And if, while the change were
being made. the force of clerks were
so reduced as to be proportionate to
the amount OF " ork actually necessary
there would he further and consider
>hle saving
Fire Marshal Not Needed.
The last example of wastefulness
to be given in this article is the office
of State + ire Marshal. Possibly that
office was of some account when Great
ed; today it is worth nothing to the
people OF the State. And it cost in the
last fiscal year SS,9S2.9S. The State
appropriates $4,000 annually.
Inc law provides that there shall be
flre marsha. at salary of $500 a
year and a deputy at a salary of
-, 900. Until the present admlniStra-
tlon there was no one else employed in
the office. Now there is a clerk, e.
Ed. Myers, of Frederick county; John
". Famous, of Hartford county, the
deputy, and "Bennie" Applestein, of
Baltimore city, the clerk. The salaries
of the first two have been stated
Applestein's salary is not known. The
SS,9S2.98 spent in the last fiscal year
represents salaries, office rent, travel
ing expenses, etc.
In saying that the office is worth
nothing to the people of the State,
there is no purpose to reflect upon
Marshal Myers. The office is worth
nothing because, in the nature of
things. it has out.ived its day Briefly
its duties are to investigate suspicious
fires and to proceed against offenders.
The facts are: First, that the fire III
Surance companies are keenly alert to
all suspicious fires and their trained
representatives are uuick-far quick
er than an inexperienced marshal, APP
pointed for political reasons-in get
ting at the truth wnen there has been
iLcendiarism; and, second, that when
there is reason to believe a fire was
caused by incendiarism the local pro-
scouting officer and sheriff are ready
and paid to investigate. In other words
the fire insurance companies, who are
most interested in furnishing incen-
diarism, are on the ground to run
down suspicious cases and the local
officers are there to lend aid
1t may be said that some incendiary
cases are too difficult for the fire in
surance representatives ard the local
authorities. That would be true. But
the insurance representative and the
local officers could do what the tSate
Fire Marshal now does when he has
such case on his hands-they could
call for one of the city detectives.
Very few, if any, important investiga-
tions are made by the Fire Marshal
without the aid of city detective.
TT