The Lamar register., 1891-04-11
Rosslne THE POOR.
justices of the Peses Have Allowed
illegal Fees in Garnishss casss
for Five Year,.

Every 'mfckle maks muckie,
runs an old Scotch proverb, and there are
some high salar.ed bank railroad
otiicials in this town who have been putting
this proverb into practice for the past six
years with increasing vigor As the
eormorant waits for its victims TO succumb
with fatigue before it commences the
operation Of bone picking, so these human
vultures have pitched upon the most
helpless class in the community to tax
them with Illegal fees.
Poverty is 70 crime, but it seems to
afford an excuse to some TO still further
oppress down trodden brother, and the
law has been requisitioned since J2ly 0,
1855, to make tue poor man groan still
more wearily under his heavy burdens.
General section l,5'i OF state statutes
provides that earnishee shall be entitled
to fees when he does not resist or make
costs, the same as witnesses before the
same courts in civil cases.
An ILLEGAL ACTION.
Since July 9, 1855, a witness before a
justice OF the peace has only been entitled
To 20 cents per day, and for mileage from
his place of residence to the court at tue
rate of 10 cents per mile, as provided by
section 5, page 209, of the session laws of
1855.
Ever since the statute OF 1855 was passed
garnishees have been allowed 81 witness
fees, contrary 10 the provisions
Of the statutes, this being at
least sl.7o more than is legal. As there
are about 200 punishment cases every
month before the justices OF the city, it is
computed that $4,000 have been paid
since July 9, lSS5--the date of the statute
Illegally; aud as the majority of the
Parnishments are made on banks and
railroad companies, it follows that this
payment has been made to high-salaried
bank and railroad officials, at the expense
of the poorer wage earners OF the COM
munity.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES.
1t may be claimed that these illegal
fees have not been placed in the pockets
of Individual officials, but paid into the
treasury of the companies they represent.
Ii this is so, then there is more shame to
those corporations for allowing the
plethoric purses of directors and share
holders to be swelled by the hard earned
cents extorted wrongfully from poor
employe, who from sickness, the numerous
wants of a wife and family, or the thous-
and and one causes which make man
poor. has been brought TO a state Of in
solvency on the meagre salary those same
corporations allow him to keep body AID
soul together.
The question was recently brought for
chilly TO tse front by Judge Simmonds, who
remarked =. NeirS reporter: 'Do you
, know that under the administration of the
justices OF the peace of this city for the
past five years great wrong has been
committed againstAthe workingmen Of
this community
"In what wayf' queried the reporter.
"Well in the first place, some years ago
the legislature 50 amended the attach
ment laws OF the State as TO give the
| creditor a right of attachment upon q note
| or book account US soon rs the same be-
came overdue, and, as a result. whenever
| . laboriug man fails TO meet his grocery
or other bills he is attached and his wages
are garnished. The majority OF these
| people are laborers working for wealthy
corporations with high salaried officials. -
Never mind about that; tell me where
and how the wrong is perpetrated."
GARxIsHEE FEES RECEIVED.
| .'Very well; when the wages are garn-
ished it is the duty of some one of these
high salaried officials to make answer in
court as to the Indebtedness of the COR
poration to the defendant. General sec
tion 1871 OF the general statutes of the
State of Colorado provides the
4 ~
he does not resist or make costs wher
| Judgment is rendered against him, the
same as witnesses before the same courts
in civil cases, and section 3, at page 2o9
| of the session laws of 1888 provides that
witnesses in civil cases before justices oi
the peace shall be entitled TO 80 cents pei
day and 10 cents per mile for each mile
necessarily travelled in going from hi.
| place of residence to the place named il
the subpoena.
This has been the law since July .
1885, and yet Notwithstanding its plair
provisions the justices have continually
allowed to the garnishee for each answer
filed the sum of 81, which finds its way
either into the treasury OF the corporation
or into the rocket of the high salaried
| official referred to, and comes out of the
earnings of the employe, who can i'll AFFORD
| to lose it,
"what is the garnishee really entitled
tor
THE LOSS SUSTAINED.
.'lf he goes to the office of the justice tc
make answer the most he can possibly
claim is 20 cents for each answer, but
when, as is generally the case, he answers
in his own office and malls the answer Il
the justice, he is only entitled to *
| cents
What do you estimate the amount oi
oyercharges against the workingnen, as
/ you have pointed them out to beg
Between sl5, 900 and $4,000 A certain
official of one of the railroads centering in
this city boasted to me during the last
month that in the month of January he
had answered eighty six garnishees in one
| Justice court. This would give him, in
| addition TO his salary OF over 500 per
| month, the sum Of sl12, at the rate OF s!
for each garnishee, if he did not have to
| divide with anyone else. At the rate OF
| 20 cents per answer it would give him
only 5000, a difference OF slll.sO, but