The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1916-01-20

Our esteemed contemporary. Hon.
Harry Summers Of the Elizabethtown
News, is not pleased wish all the Gov
ernor's ideas of economy. In a recent
issue of his good paper he says;
Governor Stanlev's recommen-
dation to take from the Sheriffs of
the State the fee for carrying con-
victs 10 the penitentiaries and have
the prison guards come for them
does no. strike Us with favor.....ln
many Counties of the State the Of
flee hardly pays sufficient to secure
the services of good man and in
cutting off the fees for carrying
prisoner to the penitentiaries takes
away from the office one of the
few easy things the Sheriff has to
DO for which he receives good pay"
According to our observation the
sheriffs, as a class, are the best paid
officers Of any who serve the State. and
we think the Governor is right when
he recommends that this easy thing
the sheriff has in conveying prisoners
to the penitentiaries be Topped off. 1t
will be remembered that the sheriff is
now getting ten cents per mile for this
service, when it only actually costs two
and one half cents per mile, and those
sheriffs who are from Counties at the
extreme ends of the State sometimes
make more than One Hundred Dollars
tripin conveying prisoners. We not
only think that this could be cut off of
the she-iff's pay. but several other
things and still plenty of good men
could be induced to serve the public in
this important office. In fact. it would
be refreshing to be referred to some
County in this State where good
men cannot be procured to serve as
sheriff on account of insufficient paw.
But. if our brother is correct in this
assumption, we can assure him that
there are many other Counties in which
the sheriff is so much over-paid tina,
the scramble to get this fat Job FIRE.
quently causes considerable disturbance
and brings about the expenditure OF
large sums of money both in the pri
maries and in the final elections, and ir
many instances this is on account OF
the pay being out of proportion to the
duties of the office. There is one thing
certain it would be difficult to convince
the burdened tax payer that the pay Of
the sheriff is inadequate. and not suf
ficiert with the Governor S recommends
ton complied with.
In our opinion the system in effect
by which sheriffs and other County Of
fcers are paid should be reformed Tn,
fee system which was adopted many
years ago is now thoroughly Anticipated
and should be reformed and there
should be substituted therefor sys
TEN by which all County and State Of
ficers are paid by salaries. If this was
done the sheriffs of the State as wei
as many other County officers woulC
not be receiving on an average of more
than one half what they now get. ant
the public would be just as well served
Also other officers would be reduced il
proportion in many Counties of tn,
State and this fund could be turned in
to the making of better roads, or some
other useful purposes.
The Governors recommendation i:
music to the ears of thousands of taS
payers, who are giving him praise 70.
his suggestions in reform and we ex
pect to hear of him recommending il
addition to what he has already don,
that the State abandon the fee system
and adopt instead the Elaclng of publ,
officers upon salaries.