Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-08
SHORTHAND REPORTERS FEES.
Arc They Drawing Too Much Pay
for Their Services.

Arc They Drawing Too Much Pay
for Their Services.
For some time past there has been q
controversy between the District Attor-
ney and the shorthand rel orters engaged
in the courts Of this city regarding the
compensation Of the latter in return for
their services rendered to the county in
criminal cases. The reporters claim, and
are now in receipt of, $40 per diem, in
addition to which they demand twenty
cents per folio of 100 words for TRANSCRIPT
ing their notes; and in support of these
claims quote from section 274 of the Civil
Code of Procedure, which especially pro-
vides for the compensation of the re-
portors. On the other hand, the District
Attorney quotes from the same section
in support of his denial that they are
entitled to the amount mentioned. The
section referred to reads as follows:
"The official reporter shall receive as
compensation for his services monthly
salary, to be fixed by the Judge, by an
order duly enter ed on the minutes Of the
Court provided said monthly
salary shall not exceed the following
maximum: In counties having popula-
ton OF 100 900 and over, $500 per month !;
less than 100 900 and over $4,000, $275
less than $4,000 and over 80, 900, $3.50 !;
less than 80 900 and over 10000, 1925,
etc.; and further provided. that where
both parties to civil action, or either,
require the testimony tn erein to be writ
ten out in full as the trial progresses, the
official reporter shall be allowed the ex.
ira expense occasioned, to be audited by
the Judge, and paid by the party or par
ties ordering the same; provided, fur
ther, that in departments of the Superior
Courts devoted exclusively to the trial Of
criminal cases the Judge of the
court shall, in addition, fix and
allow a reasonable compensation for
the transcription of the testimony,
to be paid out of the county, or City
treasury upon the order OF the Judge.
In civil cases in which testimony is taken
down by the official reporters each party
shall pay per diem of 81 so before a
verdict or judgment is entered, and
where the testimony is transcribed the
party, or parties ordering it shall pay ten
cents per folio for such transcription on
delivery thereof. Where there is no reg
uar official reporter, and one is tempor-
arily appointed by the Court, he shall re-
ceive for his services and expenses OF at
attendance, in lieu OF the salary provided
in this section, such compensation as the
Court may deem reasonable, to be paid,
if civil case, by both parties, or either
of them, as the Judge shall direct, and,
| if criminal case, to be paid out of the
treasury of the county on the order OF
the Court"
The question raised by the District
Attorney is directed at the official re-
porters of the Superior Courts, and es-
pecially at ombination OF unofficial re-
porters who, for the most part, do the
work of the Justices courts, of which
they appear to have monopoly. The
county official, basing his argument
upon the section quoted above, asserts
that they are not entitled to more than
So per diem, and 10 cents per tolio for
transcription, as provided therein in
civil cases, which he alleges is very
reasonable compensation. The report
ers, on the contrary, assert their rights
to the higher sums now in
vogue, basing their claims upon the
sentence, referring to the reasonable COM
pensation which it is left to the discre-
tionary power of the Court to order paid I;
and as all their demands are audited by
the Judges and Justices before whom
they are temporarily employed, it would
seem hard matter to determine which
is in the right.
The attention of the Supervisors having
been called to the extortionate demands
OF the reporters, that body ordered the
District Attorney to investigate the mat
ter and report to the Board, so that it
might act legally in the matter; and the
consequence is that the stenographers are
up in arms against what they imagine to
( be an invasion OF their legal rights, 9ul
! a hard efrnQgta ia irD1ninant