The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-04-11
SUBSCRIPTION $50 PER YEAR.
1T DON'T PAY.

THE question OF the repeal of the &C
creating municipal court in this city il
one affecting every tax payer, and the,
are brought face to face with the ques
ton as to whether they are willing t,
expend $500 annually, more or less, fo
its maintenance. The financial state
Inent for the year Just closed gives tn
total expenses of the court as $73776
and the city Is indebted to the judge O,
salary uncslected about seventy-fv
dollars more. or had the full salary beer
drawn the expenses would have been {
little more than $500. besides the rem
OF the building-which really is no posi-
tive expense, as the city owns the prop
city. The total receipts in the way o
fines, and court costs tor the past year
were S329.75, leaving real defcienc,
of nearly 5000.
There are advantages worth consider
ing possessed by municipal court oyer a
justice court. 1t is a court of record and
has Jurisdiction to the amount of $500
instead of 500 in civil actions. Its dis
advantages are the expense of operating
and, in some cases, the increased cost of
litigating.
1t is a fact that litigation in the m,l-
nicipal court is not increasing. There
has been less petty litigation in Sauk
Centre during the past five wears than
during any corresponding period since
1875, and the volume of it is decreasing
year by year. Under there circumstan.
ceS the HERALD does not believe it wise
to attempt to maintain our municipal
court. 1t is an expensive luxury as COM
pared with the Justices court. The old
Justices court were a source of trifling
revenue to the city mot much, to be
sure, but the balance was in favor of the
city, and not against it.
Since the above was written. circular
has been printed for general distribution,
signed'by the municipal Judge, which
seems to indicate that the above state
1nent is not correct. But it is. Judge
Wilcox figures down the expenses by
cutting $500 from the salary as fixed by |
law-there is nothing to prevent the
Judge from collecting the full amount |
now and at any future time so long as
he serves under the present law. He
furthermore takes certain mont hs-the
busy ones, and builds estimates upon
them OF the probable receipts, and by
manipulating the figures makes it appear
that the city will derive tritiing rev.
enue from the court.
Now the HERALD does not blame
Judge Wilcox for desiring the court to
be continued. AS It's judge he is holding
an honorable and lucrative office-lu-
crative when the amount of labor 1t
involves is considered, and he is dis
charging it's duties ably, fearlesslv and
In every way credltably to himself and
to those who have occasion
to use his court. No fault can be found
with his administration. And vet there
stands the cold fgures-official and at
tested, that during the wears 1S94-5,
the municipal court was a burden to
the city to the exact amount of$4O9.Ol.
The court never has been selfsustaining
Since its inception, and there is nothing
to indicate that it ever will be; but if
Judge Wilcox, or any other competent
person takes the opposite view, the peo-
pie would be only too glad to turn over
all receipts and furnish a court room
rent free in lieu of other salary or COM
pensation.