Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-03
!. No AortoN TAKEN

ny che Committee on Appropriations
In Reference to the Hill Providing
for an Increase IN Salaries of Various
City Court 0mccrs-Attorney @. z.
HoadIey and ex-Judge sheldon OPP /
pose the Increase.
For nearly two hours last night the com-
mittee on appropriations of the court Of |
common council, consisting of Aldermen
Macdonald and Callahan and councilmen
Punderson, Baschant and James Kelly,
wrest1ed with communication from the |
corporation counsel asking for instructions
in reference to the bill now pending before
the legislature providing for the increase
of the salaries of the assistant city attorney
from 5000 to 81. 600 per annum; of the as
sistant judge of the city court from 5000
to 81 500. and of the assistant clerk of the
city court from $500 to $500 per annum.
After lengthy discussion the committee
decided, in executive session, to endeavor
to find out the cost of running the primary
or city courts of other cities of about the
same population as New Haven in the New
England and the Middle Atlantic states
and baae their final finding on the statis-
tics obtained therefrom. In the meantime
the court of common council, It is pro-
action on the bill until such time as the
committee ahsn formulate its report.
Immediately after the meeting had been
called to order Attorney Newton spoke
briefly, but to the point in favoring the
proposed increase of the salaries. The
main point of his argument was that the
salaries should be such that able and COM
pstent men could be secured to fill the po-
sitions.
Attorney Ely ALEC favored the proposed
increase of salaries. He was of the opin-
Ion that the proposed salaries were In no
instance too large. The present salaries
of the officials of the city court were axed
| in 1879 and since that time the number of
cases which were tried had materially in
creased 80 that in 1892 there were nearly
| 1900 more cases tried than In 1879. In
support of his argument he said:
I'm 1879 there were z, 461 cases
| tried before the city court and
in 1892, 1854 an increase of 1,S73"
When Judge Studley was assistant city at
| torney in 1879 the fees for the prosecu-
ton Of criminal cases, 1. g., 81, 500 for city
attorney and 5000 for assistant, were based
| upon what the grand Jurors fees would
have been. III
In each case before grand jurors the fee
in New Haven would BIZ 50 06, so that the
cost for 2, 481 cases in 1879 would amount
| to S., 10. SO, while for 4 854 cases in 1892
the amount would be So 800 "a
If. therefore, So, 400 was appropriated
/ in 1879, based on the grand jurors fees a.
| that time, then at the same ratio of increase
the salaries would be $1,000 At the
present time 81, 500 is all that is asked viz:
81, 500 for city attorney and 81, 900 for as
sistant city attorney.
He also proposed that the city attorney
| should have q permanent Office in the pc.
lice building, where during certain hours
of the day he could be consulted, instead
of as at present having everyone running
about the city trying to find him when
they wanted to consult him about issuing
| a warrant.
Attorney c. s. Hamilton favored the in.
crease, as did also F. @. Bushnell, both ad.
vancing strong reasons why the salaries
should be raised.
In opposing the proposed increase At
torney Carlton E. Hoadley said that he
did not object to the increase in the salary
of the assistant judge, but he was strongly
opposed to the increase in the salaries OF
the assistant clerk and assistant city sttor
ney. He then introduced tho following
figures as covering the amounts received
by the judge, assistant judge, clerk and az
sistant clerk for the past three years: In 1885,
the judges salary was 81 500, while hi,
fees amounted to $727 more. The salary
of the assistant judge was 5000 and his
fees $3.50 more. In 1891 the judge receiv
ed 81, 500 in salary and 81 1888 in fees snt
in 1892 81 500 in salary and 81, 800 in fees
there being during the two latter years NJ
assistant Judge
The salary Of the clerk and asststan
clerk of the court is 81, 900 and 5000 per an
mum respectively, and yet during the yea
1890 the clerk received $SS4.79 extra IL
fees and the assistant clerk $3.50. In 1897
the clerk in addition to his salary received
in fees 81 ,045. 81 and the assistant clerl
$697.O1. In 1892 the clerk received 81,
OBS. 10 and the assistant clerk $3.50. 10 il
addition to their regular salaries.
Elk Judge Sheldon also spoke in opposi
ton to the proposed increase, after which
/ the committee went into executive session