Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-02
be paid to secure the best TALENT was the argument

competent man, ana ne kuGW lillu well
That reporter had reported for the counties OF Pu
mas. Llssen and Mpdoc, and he was perfectly salts
fed that out Of all three counties the reporter dld
not receive to exceed $3.50 a year. Now 1t was
necessary for the reporter to conne himself 10
county, because all the Superior Courts would be in
session at the time. Itwould necesstate three
reporters for those three counties They needed and
must have reporter in PluInas county, but unless
he WAS paid fair salarya bread butter salary
/ of $40 for each case-:hey could not have him.
Mr. DICKINSON favored the amendment ffered by
Mr.. Cheney ThepTact;cal application OF the amend
ment proposed by the Committee Judiciary would
be to make the salaries Of the reporters very small
| Every lawyer knew that great part OF each day In
Court is taken up in hearing applications for contin
uances During that time the reporter receives moth
| ing. he only receives compensation when testimony
| is being taken down in case. There oud be very
/ few days indeed when more than case would
for trial in any Superior CouIt IN the State.
There might be some days when the reporters would
receive twenty, thirty, or forty dollars but there
would be many more Gays when he would lose his
time entirely by going to the Court and com
ing on for trial. and his services not beng required
| at all for the day.
Mr. HTTELL said that the reporters were the great
est tax litigation in this State. He came up here
with the intention, and in fact drew the bill to
cut down their salaries to Sc per day and Is cents
per folio. The Judiciary Committee had decided
that that rather small for the reporters in the
| outside counties, and had agreed upon the amend
| ment which had been presented by the committee.
| He must say that for himself it was with great
deal of reluctance that he consented to the amend
ment allowing $40 a day and 20 cents per folio pro-
vided it was not fixed by the Judge. He could not
see what difference II made to the reporter whether
he reports in all day in four five
Mr. DICKINSON said he apprehended it would make
| no difference il he was regularly employed He
would ask the gentleman ii he did not know there
were many times when the reporter had nothing to
\ do at ALL
Mr.. HIrTEIL said that his experience confined
| chiefly to the Courts Of San Francisco. In the
Courts Of that city he had known the reporter TO
| aax hrb anhS daui N nerh hian1O
and that outrage. They came to the Senate
and served for IS day. They might might not
be worth it, but he had only to say that the
porters of these Courts the greatest tax that
there is upon litigation in the State, and if he alone
| could cut down their salaries he would certainly do
it. He was opposed to any change in the amend
ments as offered by the Committee on Judiciary.
Mr. CHENEY read a statement of the
porter OF the Thirteenth judicial District (Tulare
county, to the effect that his salary did not exceed
g. 200 year. lie insisted that if it was intended
to have cases reported in the country counties they
must pay $40 for every case that was reported or
the reporter could not live. He thought it case
that appealed to the common sense and Judgment
| of all the Senators.
| Mr. ZUcK agreed with Mr. Hittell in reference to
| the fees of reporters. He had had some occasion
| to examine the matter. and had been interview d
| by number of reporters on this question He
bad several letters in his pocket from reporters and
| to hear their arguments you would think that their
services indispensable, and that they ought to
have salary of five six thousand dollars
a year. He thought you could buy them by
the dozen for about twenty-five hundred or two
thousand. He had never found any difficulty in OBJ
tanning reporter. In answer to the Senator from
the Twenty sixth he would say that the fees came
out of the iitigants, and ii they could not obtain
reporter for So they could make up the difference.
He did not want reporter fastened Santa Clara
county. or any other county i'll the State at SO
day. He opposed to the amendment, and the
amendment to the amendment. He wanted the
original section-S6 day and Is cents a folio for
transcription He thought that was sufficient
salary for the character of the services rendered
These reporters all admitted that they only paid 10
cents folio for having it transcribed that they
can get the very best clerical assistance at 10 cents
! folio That leaves them margin of cents folio
at Is cents a folio
Mr.. DICKINSON asked if the gentleman meant that
these ananuenses transcribed from the shorthand
| notes into long-hand.
| Mr.. ZucK said that the reporter simply dictated
the notes and the amanuehsiS wrote it in longhand
| for ten cents per folio There was profit OF five
cents He thought if the reporters received nothing
at all per folio and So day, it was ample compen-
| sation. You could go into the interior banks and
employ competent cashiers or book-keepers at $3.50
or S175 month. He could not see where reporters
had any more responsibility attached to them than
these men 1t true that they not en-
ployed all the time, but man might do more than
one thing to get living.
Mr. JOHNSON hoped that the amendment offered
by Mr.. Cheney would be adopted. The Senator
from Santa Clara said he could get man for $50
month to bank. He had no doubt that he
for a good deal less than that He believed
that Sl50 month was more than the average re-
porter earned. Sacramento was a reasonable sized
county, with as many inhabitants as Santa Clara,
and reporter did not receive $50 month. He
had no doubt Senator Cheney would be willing to
make it salared Office. He would say that SO 4
day and fifteen cents folio was sufficient compen-
sation, if the work was steady, but it was not He
agreed with Senator Cheney that poor pay would
bring poor work. He held that the position of the
reporter was the most important that could be COM
mitted TO any one man, because upon the notes
which he takes hangs the property, the liberty and
the life OF human beings. Upon the correctness OF
his reports depend whether you lose your property
your liberty or, it may be- your life. Talk about
paving man So day and running the chances. 1t
might be that the Courts OF San Francisco had
tried ten or twelve suits IN day but he would
like to wager that no Court in San Francisco ever
tried three cases a day. The general complaint in
San Francisco was that the Courts did not try
their cases. He had in of the San
Francisco Courts that mad been there since Octo-
Der, 1878. Even where more than one case
was tried in enc day it did not work any hard
ship if the reporter received his pay in each. The
fee from different parties, and party who mad
a SUIT tried would have to pay the SO if no other
case tried on the same day. and if another case
was tried the same day he mad To pay no more. He
heped the amendment to the amendment would be
adopted and that they would have more of this
penny wise and pound foolish legislation. He
wanted to see how it would be when
this bill came in for the $4,000 sal
aries. He wanted to decent salary paid
these men. II the gentleman from Santa Clara did
not want it for that county let him make an excep
ton for that county In san Francisco the Courts
| only try cases on Monday Tuesday Wednesday and
| Thursday. Friday is law day, and.they do not hold
| Court Saturday and Sunday. So reporter could
only have four days work in the week, if the
| Courts run all the time. lie never knew u reporter
| possessing the wealth OF Rothschild or Flood or
! OBrien So far as he was acquainted with them
they were all poor men, except, probably, Charles
| A. Sumner. But MIR Sumner had salary OF $, ,0G0
from the Supreme Court, which, he supposed, ena-
bled him to have more money than the rest
Mr. SATTERwHlTE insisted that the amendment
offered by the Committee on Judiciary was the one
ttat ought to be adopted. 1t was the same old howl
for high salaries. The Constitutional Convention
was the only body of men ever assembled in the
State that had had the courage to cut down fees and
salaries.
Mr. JOHNSON wanted to know if they cut down
their own.
Mr. SArTERwIIIrE said they did not; but that was
like all msn. He believed shat now tn reporter
made as much the avera e lawyer, and they ought
to. There were many lawyers III the State that did
not make 500 a month. He considered that good
living and would like to be guaranteed 500 for the
rest of his life He held that SO day and 20 cents
per folio ought to be allowed. He would not go any
lower down than that but he did not want it high
as to keep men out of Court He admitted that he
had never known rich shorthand reporter, and
that they did not have steady work. They ought to
have $3.50 $500 month, and he thought the
amendment of the Committee Judiciary $40 pei
day and 90 cents per folio-was about right.
Mr. CHENEY again urged Ine ailupIOn OF DlS
amendment, saying that in the outside counties it
impossible for reporter to live under the other
rule.
Mr. JOHNSTON moved to amend by inserting "Sl0
per day for every day said Court is in session, paya
BILE out of the salary of the Judge and the fees Of the
attorneys
Ruled out of order
Mr. lITTELL said that it seemed to him that the
real point in the case seemed not TO be understood
They should look at the tax placed upon litigation,
and not merely at the salary Of the reporter. There
were many men now kept out of the Courts because
of the reporters fees. He was satisfied to have the
amendment Of the Committee on Judiciary adopted,
but he opposed to the amendment allowing fee
in each Reporters in San Francisco had been
allowed the per diem in cases that simply went over,
if a single word Of oral testimony was taken. He
had paid in the san Pablo case for reporters fees
between three and four thousand dollars. including
per diens and transcrptons
Mr.. DIcsIssoS asked how long it took to try the
case
Mr.. HrrTELL said it took thirty or forty days
actual work.
Mr.. DICKINSON wanted to know how long the case
was pending 4
MIR. HfTTELL said it several years In many
cases the per diem was charged when the case was
not up more than ten minutes in the day.
Mr.. JOHNSON said that could all be remedied by
the Judge doing his duty
Mr.. DICKINSON said he did not believe in visiting
the sins OF the lawyers the heads of the report
ers IN connection with that case. lie, too, knew
something OF that case. He believed every lawyer
would admit that when a case has once been taken
and the reDOrter has bat