Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-05-09
TO AMEND THE BILL
Several important Changes in the
Superior Court Measure.
And the Jurisdiction Of the Court
Limited to street. Openinx Bust.
aeas and CITY Criminal Casns.

Important amendments have been
made "a the superior court bill. which
Representative j. H. Anderson has in
troduced In the state legislature. The
bill has been materially modified. and
SiIl probably come up for consideration
tomorrow. As amended. the bill will
make come sweeping reductions in the
present expense account u the superior
court.
In the first place. the judges salary
will he cut down. Ii is expected that
800 will he knocked OF il. making il
$1,000 instead OF s2.5oO. IA il now is.
The justice 81 this 10 conceded
by almost everybody acquainted with
the management and methods OF the
court. The superior court is not Co
equal with the circuits. Its business in
far lees in volume and its jurisdiction is
limited. There In no necessity for en-
ploying judge at the present figure and
even the friends 81 the court concede
that good and sufficient ability for the
position may be procured for $1,000 per
yA
StenOgrapher's Salary.
Tho stenographer who now receives
5000 year and perquisites for the
work he performs will draw $500 for his
services under the proposed amend
ments. There ia little work for eupe-
rior court stenographer more than
one fourth that for either Of the circuit
courts. The stenographer receives ex-
ira compensation for all copies made.
and il il generally believed that this. TO-
gether with salary Of 500. is ample re-
Enumeration for the services rendered.
The clerks stipend will be fixed at
el.COO per year and the Office made
elective. The clerk now receives 81 100,
but the services rendered do not war
rant the expenditure OF such an amount
in salary. The duties OF the clerk are
very light; not sufficient To occupy a
third OF the time 81 competent man.
Indeed there are months in the year
when the clerk does not do an hour
work in week.
The Clerks Duties.
As an illustration Of this the retiring
clerk OF the court. together with the
messenger boy, spent several weeks last
summer in mailing copies Of the
Congressional Record containing Henry
Georges Protection and Free Trade, |"
to the rural voters Of the county. This
time was all paid for by the city Of
Grand Rapids and it's value to the tax
payers was hardly commensurate with
the price paid for it. There was no rea-
son why the clerk should not have spent
his time in disseminating free trade
literature. He had absolutely nothing
else to do. But there ia no particular
necessity why Grand Rapids should pay
81 20 year for work that a 81 600 man
can do satisfactorily.
Perhaps the most important change
to he made in connection with the eu-
perior court clerkship ia that il will be
made elective. There is no reason why
the clerk Of the superior court should he
appointed any more than why the coun-
ty clerk should be. Their duties in a
certain measure are supposed to be
identical. This will prevent wholesale
scrambling for the place in the part Of
applicants whose only qualification is a
private or political pull" The people
will he free to choose tho clerk as they
are now to select the Judge.
No Change I'm Stenographer.
The superior court s,enographer will
&c 0BlotntSo ar uC ttdrtti
for this is obvious. The duties of a
stenographer require a special fitness.
Mr.. Bender is regarded az frat class
stenographer. and such a one is not easy
tn procure. For this reason il il he
lieved best 10 permit the Judge 10 exer-
else his own discretion in the matter ri
his appointment. The duties of clerk
| are different. and are something that
i nth 1rI,uarx ~.
and a common school education can
soon acquire the art Of performing.
Another important change will he the
abridgment OF the courts jurisdiction
| The power 10 remove civil cases from
the circuit court 10 tho Kent circuit
court will bc taken away. This power
court was crowded with business and
that were brought before it. Ii was a
the time il past when IL In Of any bene-
III. On the contrary IL il a positive in
Jury. for attorneys avail themselves 81 il
Ia extend their cases from term n term
thereby causing delay and partly clog
ging the business Of the superior court
The circuit court can easily attend 10 all
4 Inv 'tfu tur'S ttldt fVnlf up
within the county. The jurisdiction oi
tho superior court will he restricted to
street opening CAGES and city criminal
matters. This is really all the business
that should rightfully come before the
court. and this was what il was created
10 attend 10.
Limiting the Time OF Juriea-
The time for which juries may 10 held
except in the actual trial 81 cases will
be limited. This is 20 great importance
10 the taxpayers ~ the city. As shown
by Tug HERALD the jury fees m the
superior court are excessively largo IN
proportion Ia the amount ~ business
really done. by removing all the civil
cs~ee from the court the expenses ~ a
I jury for this kind - business Will he
saved. as the circuit juries can attend "a
| H. The limitation az the time will make
il impossible for tho juri~. 80 drag along
in their work Tor the sake 81 the fe~s
| which they receive. This alone will
save the taxpayers ~ the city several
thousand dollars
The amendments were drawn by one
/ ~ tho mo.t prominent attorneys - the
city. Who IL friend ~ the court. bu'
\ who believes that under the present
system u - altogether too expensive
! lie estimates that the hill. which viii -
\ passed az amended. will result in a say
I ing - ~ leas' s5no Ter year to the city
I = EarsI.