The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-01-27

therefore recommends that the county
Commissioners be urged to eliminate
this item from future appropriations.
Judges of Orphans Court-Crier
Your Committee finds that under the
Acts of 1920, Chapter 10S Cecil County
pays the salaries of the Judges of the
Orphans Court, the appropriation for
which is S1,80000 Notwithstanding
J that the entire receipts of the Orphans
Court and Register of Wills Office are
deposited in the State Treasury. Your
/ Committee concludes that if Cecil
/ County does not receive the receipts
she should not be charged with the
salaries of its officers, and we there
fore recommend that appropriate Leg
islation be enacted whereby the
salaries of the Judges of the Orphans
Court may in the future be paid by
the State.
We find no Act for the appointment
of Crier to the Orphans Court, al
though payments for this office have
| been made at the rate of SIP per
annum. Nor do we find any necessity
for such an Office and therefore rec
ommend that our County Commission
ers Be urged to withhold future APP
preparations for this purpose.
Outside Observation-Disclosures
The appropriation for outside insane
is $12,00O.00. The only manner in
which economy could be reflected in
this appropriation is in the commit
ment. Under the present law per-
son may be committed to the asylum
upon the affidavit of two physicians,
at cost of $500 each to the County.
To this is added mileage, etc., by the
Sheriff. Then too 1T frequently hap
pens that persons are committed and
become charge upon the County who
are financially able to pay.
Your Committee has concluded and
therefore recommends that the pres
emit law be changed making it manda-
tory that one of the physicians in
these examinations be the local State
Board of Health physician. who shall
perform that service without charge
to the County and, who shall certify
to the County Commissioners that the
party to be committed is insane and
without means.
Your Committee recommends, in the
interest of economy, that the States
Attorney be the legal adviser to the
various County boards, with no in
crease in salary.
1t is also urged by this Committee
that the County Commissioners pay no
bills or fees or expenses except those
permitted by law. And that a reso-
luton be passed giving the Committee
| to succeed the present Committee the
power to protest. in the name of the
Association, any account which to
them seems improper and to appear
before the proper authorities to pro-
| test it's payment in the event the bill
| is found to be not authorized by law
| or in excess.
| The detailed figures for the State
Board of Health expenditures not be-
ing available and not being able
! to make a recommendation on
| that account, your Committee suggest
that the Committee to be appointed by
this Association be Instructed to make
such examination as to them seems
proper to determine what economies
to the taxpayers could be effected in
this Department, and to make their
recommendations at a future meeting
| of the Association.
Sheriff
The appropriation for this purpose
| is 100000. Your Committee finds
numerous Acts of Assembly in recent
years placing the Sheriff upon a sal
airy and your Committee is informed
that Cecil County is the only County
remaining upon the fee system.
Your Committee, while not having
the figures of revenue of the Sheriff's
office available, and being anxious to
obtain for him remuneration consist
ent with his labors and the inherent
danger of the office, nevertheless feel
this Office should be on salary basis.
In studying the various Acts pertain
| ing to Sheriff's salaries, your Com
mittee has concluded and therefore
recommend, that a measure be intro
duced at the Legislature placing the
Sheriff upon salary and framed
along the lines contained in the Act
of 1927, Chapter ITO, relating to Mont
gomery County, except that the con-
Guiding paragraph be eliminated from
said bill.
1t is further recommended that the
present restriction, making the Sheriff
Ineligible for reelection, be removed.
Elections
Any law which permits the expendi-
ture of approximately $4,000 for a
general election, where the total vote
cast cost the County in excess of $1.10
each, needs to be corrected This is
true of the recent election. Our in
vestigation leads us to the conclusion
that while certain changes in the
Election Law would result in econo-
mics, the real trouble lies in the appli-
cation of the present Law.
For instance: The Act of 1881,
chapter 80 (Wnlcn repeats Art. So,
Section 1868 provides the rate of pay
for Judges and Clerks to be $500 per
day. Art. 3S, Section 1877, increases
this rate $500 per day, and also pro-
vides that the Board of Election Su-
pervisors, with the consent of the
County Commissioners, may increase
this increased rate $500 more, making
maximum rate of $500 per day for
Judges and Clerks. The Act of 1881,
Chapter 80, above referred to, provides,
the overtime rate to be $50 per hour.
This Act and Articles does not specify
what is day so your Committee is
assuming that a day begins with the
opening of the polls and ends with the
closing thereof.
In the light of this Interpretation of
the law it seems to your Committee
that the amounts paid in numerous in
stances were uncomfortable and sew
eral thousand dollars in excess of that
permitted by law. We are not at
tempting to place the responsibility
for this but feel that steps should be
4