28 S.D. 386 | S.D. | 1911
The only question presented by this appeal from an order sustaining a demurrer to the complaint is whether the plaintiff, as treasurer of the defendant county, in the years 1907 and 1908, was entitled to compensation, additional to a salary of $1,500, for receiving and disbursing funds arising from the,sale of bonds issued by the defendant for the purpose of erecting a courthouse. It involves the construction of various provisions of the Revised Political Code. Section 1836 declares that each county treasurer shall receive for his services 4 per cent, on all moneys collected by him for each fiscal year, except as is otherwise expressly provided by law, and certain fees for advertising and selling land for delinquent taxes. Section 879 provides that the treasurer in a county having not more than 15,000 inhabitants (the defendant being of that class) shall receive a salary not exceeding $1,500 per annum, to be paid monthly from the special salary fund by warrants drawn on that fund, that the special salary fund shall be liable during the year only to salary warrants, and that at the end of the year any surplus therein shall be covered into the treasury and placed to -the credit of the general fund. Section 880 creates a special salary fund, requires the treasurer to keep a
It is clear the Legislature intended that 1 per centum Of the par value of bonds issued and sold for erecting county buildings should be considered in determining the treasurer’s compensation; the only controversy being whether his right to such per centum is affected by the provision limiting his salary to $1,500 per annum; in other words, whether the compensation, commission, or fee, whatever it may be called, provided for in section 975, should be regarded as constituting a part of the special salary fund or as an
The contention that the case at bar should be ruled by the case of State v. Roddle, 12 S. D. 433, 81 N. W. 980, is clearly untenable. The question in that case was whether the Legislature intended to create a new office or to impose additional duties upon the Secretary of State as such. There was no doubt of its intention to allow compensation for the duties performed by the Secretary as a member of the brand and mark committee. It was held that the statute should be construed as creating a new office, otherwise it would have been unconstitutional. In this case the question is simply whether the Legislature intended to provide compensation for additional services or duties without regard to the $1,500 limitation. In other words, what was the legislative intent as to the extent of the treasurer’s compensation in counties having not more than 15,000 inhabitants when such counties issue bonds for the erection of county buildings? No constitutional limitation is involved. The Legislature had the power to enlarge the $1,500 limitation if it desired to do so. The question is what did it intend to do, not what it could or should have done.
We think it did not intend to enlarge such limitation, and that the order appealed from should be affirmed.