Chap. 352.—An ACT to create a commission to consider the compensation of
court clerks, examiners of records, treasurers, commissioners of the
revenue, sheriffs, high constable, and city sergeants, and until action
upon the report of said commissioner to fix the maximum amount of
the compensation of said officers. (S. B. 146.)

Approved March 27, 1914.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia. That
no court clerk, treasurer, commissioner of the revenue, sheriff, high
constable or city sergeant shall receive directly or indirectly as his
total annual compensaticn for his services, including all his salaries,
allowances, commissions and fees, whether derived from the State,
cr any political sub-division thereof, or from any person or cor-
poration, an amount in excess of the sums hereinafter named, to-wit:

In cities having a populaticn of sixty thousand or more said
compensation for any such officer shall not exceed the sum of sixty-
five hundred dollars per annum; with a population between twenty-
five thousand and sixty thousand, such compensation shall not
exceed fifty-five hundred dellars per annum; with a population be-
tween twenty thousand and twenty-five thousand, said compensation
shall not exceed five thousand dollars per annum; with a popula-

.tion below twenty thousand, said compensation shall not exceed
four thousand dollars per annum: provided, that this act shall not
apply nor be operative as to cities, towns with a population of less
than four thousand, and provided that in cities containing more

than one hundred and twenty-five thousand inhabitants the com-
pensation to be paid the city treasurer shall not exceed the sum of
seven thousand five hundred dollars per annum.

In counties with a population of fifty thousand or more, the
said compensation for any such officer shall not exceed the sum of
five thousand dollars per annum; with a population between thirty-
{wo thousand and fiftv thousand, the said compensation shall not
exceed forty-five hundred dollars per annum; with a population
under thirty-two thousand such compensation shall not exceed four
thousand dollars per annum.

For the purposes of this act the population of each county and
city shall be as shown in the United States census report of nine-
teen hundred and ten.

No clerk of the supreme court of appeals shall receive as his
total compensation, as aforesaid, an amount in excess of five thou-
sand dollars per annum.

No examiner of records shall receive as his total compensation,
as aforesaid, an amount in excess of two thousand five hundred dol-
lars per annum, and the sums actually paid out by him for neces-
sary office expenses and the amounts actually paid by him as pre-
miums of the official bond of himself or clerks, and as compensation
to his deputies and assistants; provided, however, the amount so
paid in premiums and compensations as aforesaid shall in no case
exceed the amount paid out in the conduct of the affairs of said
office during the year ending December thirty-first, nineteen hun-
dred and thirteen.

2. Each of said officers on and after the next anniversary of
the beginning of the terms of their respective offices as prescribed
by law shall keep a full and accurate account of all such fees, al-
lowances, commissions and salaries to which he is entitled under
the law, and also of all such fees, allowances, commissions and sal-
aries actually collected by him and the date of such collections and
the sources from which the same were derived. And the said ac-
counts shall be kept in a book and the form and manner of keeping
the same shall be prescribed by the auditor of public accounts, and
the said book shall at all times be open to public inspection.

&. Each of said officers shall annually within fifteen days after
the close of each anniversary of the beginning the terms of their
respective offices as aforesaid file with the auditor of public accounts
a full and accurate statement showing all such fees, allowances, com-
missions and salaries collected by him, and a like statement of all
such fees, allowances, commissions and salaries chargeable under the
law, but not collected by him, which statements shall be verified
by affidavit, and each of said officers shall retain as his compensation
out of said fees, allowances, commissions and salaries an amount
not in excess of the same hereinbefore named, and may also deduct
all sums actually paid out by him for necessary office expenses, and
the amounts actually paid by him as premiums on the official bond
of himself or deputies, and as compensation to his deputies or as-
sistants; provided, however, that the amount so paid out in ex-
penses, premiums and compensation as aforesaid shall in no case
exceed the amount so paid out in the conduct of the affairs of sai/
offices respectively during the year ending December thirty-first.
nineteen hundred and thirteen; provided, further, that in case of
sheriffs and city sergeants allowances for expenses shall be increased
or decreased in proportion to any increase or decrease, as the case
may be, in the average number of prisoners kept by them; and
provided, further, that each of said officers shall on or before -July
first. nineteen hundred and fourteen. transmit to the auditor of
public accounts a statement verified by affidavit, showing the
amounts so paid out for office expenses, in premiums on said bond:
and in compensation of deputies and assistants during said year of
nineteen hundred and thirteen, and the names of the persons to
whom said amounts were paid.

4. Each of said officers at the time of filing the annual state-
ment of his fees. allowances, commissions, and salaries as aforesaid,
shall pay into the State treasury in the manner prescribed by law
any sums in excess of the aggregate amount of his own compensa-
tion as herein prescribed and office expenses, premiums on boni:
and compensation of his deputies and assistants as aforesaid. an!
one-half of the amount so paid into the State treasury shall be
turned into the treasury of the city or county of the said officer.
" respectively; provided, however, that all the amounts paid in by

* the clerks of the supreme courts of appeals and examiners of recor ds
shall be retained in the treasury of the State.
5. All statements filed with the auditor under this act shall

‘be referred by him to a commission which is hereby created, and

which shall consist of the governor, auditor of public accounts and

“ the State accountant, who shall serve on said commission without
“ compensation, and the said commission shall study said statements

“ and compare the same, and may require further information under
- oath from any of said officers and their deputies or other persons,

and shall report at the next session of the general assembly whether
said offices are economically administered, what compensation should
thereafter be paid to said officers and how many deputies or assis-
tants, if any, are necessary to the efficient performance of the duties
of the said officers, and what should be the compensation of such
deputies and assistants; what allowance, if any, should be made
for office expenses and premiums on official bonds and the manner
in which said compensation should be paid or such allowances made,
and all other matters deemed pertinent by any member of said
commission.

6. The said commission is hereby authorized and empowered
to adjust equitably all questions of the division of compensation,
allowances for deputies and assistants, office expenses and premiums
on bonds which may arise under this act by reason of the change
of incumbents in any such offices or from any other cause; provided,
however, that all such adjustments shall be made as nearly as pos-
sible in accordance with the intent of this act.

And the said commission is hereby further authorized and em-
powered on written application from any of the said officers and on
good cause shown, to increase the allowance made to said officers
for deputies and assistants, office expenses and premiums on bonds;
and in case the said commission grants any increase of allowance
hereunder, thev shall set out in their report their reason therefor.

7. No county or city affected by this act shall, pending action
upon the report of said commission, make any decrease in the sal-
aries, allowances, commissions or fees made to any of said officers.

8. Any officer failing to comply with the duties imposed upon
him by this act shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-
five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars.

9. The provisions of this bill limiting the compensation of said
officers shall not be effective until January first, nineteen hundred
and sixteen.

10. Provided, however, that the provisions of this act limiting
the compensation of said officers shall not be effective until the ex-
piration of the terms of office of the present. incumbents in cities
having a population of one hundred thousand inhabitants or more.