Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-17
BOARD LOWERS
>SHERIFF'S WAGE
Maximum Salary of $500 Reduced
to $1,000 by Supervisors
This Morning.
INCREASE AMOUNTS OF SOME
Committee Raises Remuneration for
Five Other Officers Only
One Decrease.

Decrease in the compensation OF
the sheriff from $500 to $4,000 per
annum was recommended by the
committee on fees and salaries OF
the Rock Island county board OF
supervisors this morning, and the
report was adopted. Increases are
made effective for all other officers
; who will be elected in November.
In the case of the sheriff it is ex-
planned that it has been placed on
the same basis as the county judge
and the county clerk, the three
having the same compensation,
which is more than other offices.
1t is explained further that the
county is no longer bound by the
agreement that was entered into
four years ago when the compen-
sation of the sheriff was fixed, be-
cause of change in the state laws.
Four years ago the supervisors de-
sired that prisoners be fed at cost,
and as it was not compulsory, the
several candidates for the Office
agreed in writing that they would
adopt the system of feeding prison
ers at cost if the annual compen-
sation were fixed at $500. The
salary was so fixed.
SINCE that time the Illinois legis-
latUre has made feeding at cost
compulsory, and the supervisors
were left at liberty to fix the sal
airy of the sheriff upon an equal
basis with other officers receiving
the highest amounts.
The report of the committee was
submitted by Supervisor Frederick
Graflund, its chairman, who ex-
planned the situations with refer
ence to the various Offices, present
ing data showing that other coun-
ties Of this size are paying higher
salaries on an average than is in
cluded in the revised figures.
New Salaries.
The matter was submitted for a
vote without debate and no votes
were recorded against the propos-
ed changes. Following is the new
scale of salaries:
County judge, $4,000, increase OF
$500.
County clerk, $4,000, increase of
$500.
Probate judge, $4,000, increase of
5000.
Probate clerk, s2,1OO, increase of
$500.
Sheriff, IS, 1000. decrease of $500. S.
Treasurer, $500, of which $500
is as county treasurer and 81 900 is
as supervisor of assessments, in
crease of $500
Compensation can be fixed only
for the officers who begin new
terms in December.
Question of the amount of bond
under which the new county treas
urer shall be placed was referred
to the finance committee at yester-
day afternoons meeting of the SUI
pervisors. The matter is to be re-
ported back to this session.
Supervisor Fred Grafund's YER
bal report Of the recent state con-
ventions Of county officers held here
some time ago, was accepted.
Several election Judges were ap-
pointed upon recommen OF
various members of the board to fill
vacancies since the primaries.
The matter Of compensation for
the janitor and engineer of the
court house was referred to the
committee on fees and salaries
Sheriff George Richmond declared
| to the board that these men have
! only three prisoners able to help
them in their duties, and that con-
| seQuently the work is extremely
heavy. An attempt should be made
! according to the sheriff, to retain
the men acting in these capacities
even at an added increase in wages