Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-21

abstract of the city docket from the
9th day of March, 1876, to the 9th day
of April, 1877, the additional month
to complete the year 1 have aver
aged, as the docket was not fully
written up, nor the year expired.
The Mayor and Marshals received
for their services in fees and Salaries
as follows:
Fees city cases II mos. ....... $2752.W
Estate " ....... 23l.O0
Licenses. .............. $500
Salary approximately. ...... $500
Add l mo. to comLleta year. 257.25
Total. .................$ 334.25
| MARsHALs.
Fees City cases IL mos. -. $19SS.O
" State /, I" ....... 354.6O
salary 15J.55
Add l mo for complete year 256.4O
| Total. $3333.23
We have here a total of $6677.4S
for the Mayor and Marshals, which
fails to cover our police expenses by
very considerable sum, as l have
taken in this statement, no account Of
Solicitors fees, Witness fees, Pris-
oner's board, Working Prisoners and
incidental expenses attendant upon
city matters, do not deem it nec-
essary in this place to detail the last
referred to expenses, as they will
probably be as heavy under the en-
Superior Court Judge as by the May
or, unless there be very consider
able reduction in the number of
arrests made for certain offences,
which might very reasonably be done,
thereby depicting the expenses mate
rally. Now for the expenses from
the city of the Superior Court:
Judge. commemorative. .$lOOO.OO
Marshal. .............. 100000
deputy. ...,... SW.O
Jurors, (approximate) $3.50. 10000
City CLERK. ..........,...... 5UO.OO
Total. .$4SOO.OO
We have here a total of $4,000
against $6677.4S, showing decrease
of $lS77.4S.
The argument made by many that
the jury system under the Superior
Court bill will increase our expenses,
seems an erroneous one to me, for the
reason that the litigation ,ciN be, Ell
Their in this, the Circuit or District
courts. In this we have jury of six
with PANEL of nine, with a pro-
vision in section Ia that no juryman
can be held over one week unless call
ed before the week expires. In either
of the others we have jury of twelve,
with PANEL of twenty-four, draw
ing pay from three to four weeks
each term of the court,
Each case brought before the SUI
rerior court depletes the docket of
the future Circuit or District Court
TO that extent. That q court can be
run cheaper with nine jurors than
with twenty-four; that it can be run
cheaper with Judge at $1,000 Ito
city, than Mayor at 1874 that it
can be run cheaper with Marshals at
l,SOO, than the same at 81, 1873, hardly
admits of an argument. If each and
every case that came before the Su-
perior Court was by law required, or
could appeal to the Circuit or Dis
trict Court, it would be of no value,
but, on the contrary, appeals are
made directly to the Supreme Court,
in civil cases, as from either Of the
others, and only to the Supreme
Court, so as asserted before, the flu
ture dockets of our Circuit and Dis
trict Courts will be depleted to the
extent of trials under the new law.
There is one other matter of no in
considerable importance that should
be borne in mind in making esti-
mates of salvage. In section ID of
the act we find that in all civil actions,
the costs (being the same as i'm the
Circuit and District Courts) are to be
collected by the City Clerk and paid
into the city treasury for her benefit.
l am crcdibly informed that the
sum now received by our County
Clerk amounts to nearly $1,000 per
annum, and it is fair to presume that
not less than 81 500 per year will be
derived from this source. This sum
should be deducted from the estimat-
ed cost of running the court, thereby
increasing the saving to the city over
our present system to that amount.
The estimate Of $l,SOO to the Mar
shals is based upon the idea that in
the future our city will place them
upon salary, there being an ordi-
nance to that effect now before the
council that will unquestionably pass.
This showing makes saving over
our present system of $1,S74, and fees
derived from civil matters of 81, 800,
or total of 1894 with convenience of
action when desired.