The Brinkley argus., 1917-07-20
RADICAL CHANGES ARE
 PROPOSED IN SYSTEM
Delegate J. B. Moore Has in Mind Some Changes That Would Shake Things Up in Old Monroe
 County.

Bank of Clarendon, and his office did not take up enough of his time for it to be noticed.
 We pay our Assessor about $1, 10000 per annum and also employ two men in each town ship to help him. The Assessor actually works about six weeksa year, and not enough then to get up a sweat. We pay our Circuit Court Clerk somewhere about S4, 100000 per annum. He records about 1,800 deeds and mortgages and uses not to exceed 100 pages of record in recording chancery decrees and judgments. He uses typewriter to do this recording; and in many instances the book he uses is printed form. Any stenographer could do all this re cording in six months time.
 The Clerk of the County and Probate Court receives S4, OOO.OO per annum; he keeps the books of the county, and records cer- tain instruments. The banks of the county pay for similar ser- vices about SI, 800. % per annum.
 I am not criticising thes off, ficials. They are doing just as much as any of thelr predeces- sors, and I have never known any of them to get rich out of their office. They spend it in campaigns and lose it by endors- ing notes. The fault is with the system, not the officials.
 I believe if we would abolish the Quorum Court, the office of County Judge, Collector, Circuit Court Clerk, Treasurer, Asses sor; and elect three commission CTS who will assess the property. levy the tax. collect the tax. aa- expend the tax. The Conmis-
 sioner to employ : book-Leeeer.
 salary not to exceed $1 ,5OO.W per annum, and two stenograph- CTS at salary of $500. % per annum each. These Commission
 CTS are to receive a salary of $2, 10000 per annum each, they to give bond and give all their
 time to the work. The Con- missioners to be elected for six : year term, one to go out in two, years, one in four years and one in six; no Commissioners to' be : eligible for reelection. These l three men with the clerical help outlined above could easily do
 all the work in this cennty; and we would get good men for the position at this salary.
 We would retain the Sheriff who would be the peace officer of the county, but we would pay [ him a salary of 1,8O0.00 per
 annum.
 This plan would save $6000. % t per annum, in salaries alone, and } would give us much more : efficient government. This efti- l ciency would save much more 5 thar salary. The waste of re- ] venues in salaries is merely a 9 bagatelle when you think of the g other waste. 1 do not mean by T this to criticise any individual. s our, County Judge is as enconomi- : cal as ne can be. but 1t IS the 1, system under which he is work s ing that prevents economy. s This change would force us to s change our judicial system as we k would have no Probate Court.
 This matter could and should be r arranged in this manner. The t Chancery Court should have y jurisdiction of all law and equity :. cases inclusive of administrators !, and guardians. and a criminal e Court should be established. t The Chancery Court or Law t Court should use a jury for such !. matters as require a jury and 0 would necessarily have a smaller e district than the Criminal Court.