The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-11-12
The Judge QuestiOn---An Interview.

A representative of the WATCHMAN asked
T. j. Deavitt, Esq, of Montpelier what he
thought of the bill pending in the legisla-
ture to reduce the number of supreme
court judges Omttng questions for the
sake of brevity. lie said in reply to our in
terrogatores " Lawyers naturally favor
large court, with high salaries. As all the
judges are promoted from the bar, lawyer
can never tell how soon he will be called
to take seat on the bench; bat, if | was a
member of the legislature" added Mr..
Deavitt, "acting under oath for the best
interests of the state, | should favor reduC-
ing the number of judges to i've. Five can
do lie work as well as any larger number,
If not better One OF the Judges himself
said, within the last six months, that he
would gladly be one of five judges if he
could have one-iifth of the salary the seven
now receive, and he was one of those who
appeared before the legislative committee
last week to tell that body " at "A hard
working set of men the Vermont Judges
are. Why, they not only do the work of
their office but look after large private in
terests, act as administrators of large es-
tates, travel in foreign countries, and are
off duty for months at time, and still the
business of the courts goes ON III due course
by the new rules, no session of court is
held Saturday afternoons or Monday fore
nuOus-a loss of one-siXth of the time. Be-
sides, the courts. like the legislatures often
day or Tuesday.
Greater care think would be taken in
selecting Judges if five constituted the court
The responsibility would be more concern
trated and the court less cumbrOus. The
peoples confidence in the court has been
less with the large number of judges than
formerly Complaint was made that the
judges divided their work in supreme court
80 that the decisions rendered were only
the opinions of the judge to whom the
case was assigned. The legislature made IA
law requiring all the Judges to sign the de-
cisions not rendered in term time, and now
the judges complain to the committee of
the time to get their mandates signed. If
the court was composed of i've judges,
three would make quorum for holding the
supreme court. Now it requires four or
more to constitute a court. The Judges told
the committee last week that, while the
business in the county courts was not large,
in the supreme courts it had greatly III
creased in the past few years That fact, Of
itself, would indicate something wrong
which needed reforming, for nearly every
case in the supreme court is to correct some
mistake, or supposed mistake, of the judges
i'll the county courts"
On the subject of reducing the salaries of
the judges MIR. Deavtt said that such Judges
as Poland, Pierpoint, Peck, Steele, Barrett,
and others, served on the bench for about
| half the salary now paid the Judges. He
oull''oSN hidl lut Ildl'l lllti
judges was 50 much money thrown away, so
far as the state is concerned. He did not
| blame the judges for taking it If they could
get il, but the state could get just as good
service for 5 800 or s. 0O0 year as it now
gets for the $500. When the number was
| increased to seven, the judges were fearful
! that the dear people" would not continue
even the salary then paid; but they have
| not only continued il but have increased il
! from $1,000 to $500 and then to $500
! The bench has become tine most avaricious
! labor union in the state. 1t does not
strike" because there is too much
skilled labor " to ego III " if they d" 20
out and they are too select To force others
to join the union They are very success
full in pleading their own cause before IA
| legislative committee, for large salaries and
frequent elections give them courage, and
official position gives them influence.
81 have great respect" said Mr.. Deavitt,
personally for the present judges of the SUI
| preine court, and my relations with them
are friendly. | would as soon they receive
the large salaries as any other gentlemen
but l am opposed TO the principle of EN-.
plOying more servants than are needed, OF
paying them more wages than their services
are worth Every dollar of excess beyond
that is so much transferred TO the official
that belongs to the people. 1t is a waste Ol
capital to pay S23,00O a year To the judges
Of the supreme court when the same service
could be secured for $4,000. Offices OF
profit are forbidden by our constitution
| Members of the legislature, of equal ahil
ity to that Of the judges, serve the STATE
away from home at three dollars day and
lay two dollars day for board, because
the constitution does not allow greater pay
OF members so long as enough servants can
DO secured at that figure"