Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1922-11-02
THE FEE SYSTEM

ffot fo nrevent the people of Mississippi from having
an opportunity to vote at this election on the propoSOn
to make the office salared rather than compensated on
fee basis Stokes Robertson and MS packer Governor
90 Russell doubtless realize that at best the change can
be POSTPONED for but short time. ,
TWENTY-FIVE years ago in virtually every state the
majority and in some cases all the country OFFICIALS were
on the fee basis Men who could command the SURFACES
of their fellows for two terms in some ottlce usually haC
of sheriff tax collector were able to retire with com
petence. = ), - NIL
specos plea that the absence of salaries cut into the tax
ing strain upon the owner OF real or personal properly
was obviously answered by the fact that though this oil
rect taxation was essened he was IN fact paying larger
tax direct to the official instead of to the state or county
The Sheriff who today in Arizona, for instance
draws salary of $2750 per year, getting that from the
entire tax public Before statehood when shertfS were
on fee basis some of them in the larger counties drew
$4,000 year Tax collectors in Missouri today draw
about $4,000 the average the pay being based on popu
aon In the days of the fee system in OF the more
popuous counese the taxpayers handed over directly TO
the collector as high as $4,000 per year
The theory Of the fee system has come to be con
demned as uneconomic The theory OF the government
is that the public official is hired by the state to perform
certain duties precisely as the teller in bank over
seer on plantation For that service he should receive
fixed compensation as they do and receive it direct from
his EMPLOYER For him to collect fees from those who do
business with him as the agent of the state the county
is precisely analogous to the Of the plantation
who receives commission from the merchant from whom
he buys goods for his employer or the factory TO Who
he assigns the product
One does not need to have direct reference to any
official office to say that the existence OF the fee s
tenn is calculated to procure in many cases for customers
of the state private arrangements Of rebates cOnces
sons It makes of admif stration prOvite quasi
private negotiation between the agent of the govern
ment and the individual 1t creates middleman the
most expensive proposition known to modern clvllza
ton, between the state and the citizen.
The active movement which is spreading over the
state to obain the approval OF majority OF the voters
of Mississippi to the adoption Of the initiated statute seek
of
basis of $4,000 year, in lieu of the present 20 per cent
colectibe from fines and penalties assessed will do, If
adopted, two things:
l. It will make the office what it should be, simply
the channel through which Mississippi collects what is
due her.
g. It will turn into the treasury of the estate approx
matey $4,000 the year. which belongs to the state tax
payers and divert from the pocket of whoever happens
payers and divert from the pocket of whoever happens
to hold the office to the state institutions who need more
and money to carry out the great program of work
they doing to the everlasting benefit of the peo-
pie and the state
The state of Mississippi has plenty of citizens who
will perform the work of the State Revenue Agent for
$4,000 the year. There no reason on earth why the tax
payers of Mississippi should be bereft of 900 annually
to sbdze some citizen of the state to perform this SER
vice.
Eleven thousand signatures were quickly secured be-
ing in of the required 1900 to place the PROPOSE
ton the ballot after political influence had been found
strong enough to prevent the Legislature from passing this
of economy. is but fair test of the thought
of the state upon the subject The defeat of the effort
through quirk of the law while reefecting in
wise upon judicial administration which is restricted by
the law as is written would be forcing tribute upon
the taxpayers of the state forcing them to pay out
considerably high figure for return which no more va-
able to the state than is rendered by other public off
Gals who do not enjoy what is the sort of perquse which
is popular supposed to be unAmercan and relic of old
days in England when Prerequisites at the expense Of the
people the method adopted by royalty for reward
ing favOrtes inexpensive method to royalty but hard
on the common people
The State Revenue Agent has been making a hard
and consistent fight to protect his enormous perqsite
He endeavored to have sufficient petitions withdrawn
make the number inadequate, but prevented legal
opinion. Nothing daunted he thereupon has sought in
the courts to make the matter of his huge pdend and its