Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1903 — Fee and Salary Bill. [ARTICLE]

Fee and Salary Bill.

Wiidy Billy Mason, the Chicago mountebank, has at last got it through his thick skull that he has no chance to be re-elected to the IL 8. senate and has retired from the contest. If Billy possessed judgement at the rate of one per cent, of his gall he would have known months ago that he had no chanoe for re-election.

Northport (Mich.) Leader— Don't pity the country editor. He is as contented as a oow puffed up by eating too many rose geraniums. Pray for the spindle-shanked gazabo that is living the strenuous life in the metropolis. He needs It. Don’t lose any sleep over the Rube who edits your Jtome paper. He may not know a panegyric from a misfit formula for making apple butter, but be knows a hypocrite when he sees one and dare call him so to his face. He probably eats with his knife and wears undershirts with slivers in ’em; but no domineering managing editor can make him eat dirt. He is not to the manor born, neither has he an escutcheon-embroidered on his linen; but he has wiped his acqueline nose on the flour sack of civilization and kicked his boots loose from the frozen floor es a farmer’s kitchen and in the slang of the present "Has been up against it.” He learned to edit a newspaper after khat. To be poked fun at by the oity brother when his paper announces to the world in a flourish of-long primer that *'Si Green’s choicest bull calf choked itself to death on a bags,” doesn’t ruffle him a particle for he rests secure in the consciousness that it will please "Si” and don’t hurt the oity chap who wouldn’t know a rutabaga from a Greek god.

Bill Is Introduced to Pay Officials on a Different Basis. - * z What promises to be one of the most important bilisof the present session was introduced in the aenAte by Senator Gftfd, of FrfiUkfurt. This is a general fee and salary bill placing all county clerks, sheriffs, recorders, treasurers and auditors on a salary proportionate to the number of people- A sliding scale of fees is attached to equalize the remuneration of some of the officers who would not receive what it is believed is their due oa the straight salary. Under the new bill county clerks are to receive $l2O for each 1,000 inhabitants up to 10,000 and SBO per 1,000 above that number. They are also to be allowed 10 per cent of all fees they collect. County auditors are to be paid exactly the same as the clerks except that as the fees in their office are smaller than those taken in by the clerk they are to receive an additional 10 per cent of all the interest on school fund loans collected by them.

Sheriffs are to receive sllO par 1,000 up to the 10,000 limit and S7O for every additional 1,000 and may retain 10 per cent of the fees they take in. Recorders are to be paid S9O per 1,000 up to 10,000 and SSO for every extra 1,000 and treasurer will be allowed SIOO for each 1,000 up to 10,000 with S6O additional for every 1,000. They may also retain 10 per cent of all delinquent tax collections. All salaries will be paid but of the county funds, thus insuring the officials their entire pay. This, it is thought will line up the sheriffs who are clamoring for relief from the present system. The bill has some good points but has a rocky road to travel before it becomes a law.