The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-01-31
MORE CIRCUIT COURTS.
What the Advocates OF the PROPOSE
tion Have to Say In Its Behalf.

What the Advocates OF the PROPOSE
tion Have to Say In Its Behalf.
The advocates of the proposition to
create two additional Circuit Courts
have distributed the following circular
among the members of the General AS
sembly;
wILL TEN CIRCUITS PAY?
Some figures by way of comparison.
Present cost of Courts: Eight circuits,
averaging now 4.37 counties each: Six
Judges, $500 each, $21,000; two
Judges, $4,000 each, SO, 6,00O-eight
Judges, total, $4,000. Seven solicit
tors, 81 $50 each, 50, ,450; one solicitor,
81, ,600-eight solicitors, total $11, $50.
Eight stenographers, 81 $50 each, $10,-
900. Total for State $4S,O50. Aver
age cost per county, $1,372.75; aver
age cost per circuit, $6,0O6.25; 10J
regular Courts per year-average cost
per Court, $457.61.
Cost with ten circuits: Ten circuits,
averaging 80 couties, with Saluda)
each: Ten Judges, each So, 900, $780,
600; ten solicitors, each averaging
81, ,250, SO, 800: ten stenogrnphers,
each averaging l,l00, $1,000. Total
for State, :s5}, 100. Average cost per
county, 81 1856. 10; average cost per
circuit, $3.50: 105 Courts, as now
held, plus 32 additional Courts in six
teen counties. II total of 1877 Courts per
vear-average per Court, S390.5S
Comparison: Cost, ten circuits, So3,-
900: cost, eight circuits, rs, $50. To-
tai increase for State, So, ,45O. Aver
age cost of increase per county, Sl5l,-
80.
Total taxable property of the State,
say, $i1i, 100000: increase levy less
than 32-100 of mill, or about 3 cents
on every 81 900 worth of property.
There are sixteen counties in the
State of over 80, coo inhabitants, il
which il is proposed to hold four
Courts for criminal trails annually, in
stead OF three, rs now. e., an aver
age OF one Court every three months.
This will save the dieting of prisoners
for about three months in each year.
If each county averages only ten pris-
oners awaiting trial, their cost each
per month is 50 or 800 per month, or
S210 for three months for each county,
or for the sixteen counties "a 800. If
twenty ioti >oul VI
400 If thirty counties adopt four
Courts $S, 100 will be saved or ac-
count of dieting prisoners alone, more
than sufficient 70 meet the increase ut
81, 40 tor the State.
Besides, Il will increase the number
AMI lengths of terms of the hands on
the chain gang. and speedy trials Will
bc had.
The saving 20 the State in the fees @:
witnesses for the State, and for the de-
PENDANTS in fclonics, in cases necessarily
continued on account of want of time
TO trv them. is beyond calculation, but
it may be safely estimated as ut least
% per cent in mileage and attendance.
This does not take into consideration
the relief which will be experienced by
litigants IN civil cases, whose c9c~S are
continued from term to term thro\ gn no
fault Of theirs nor of their attorneys.
They pay M oncrous tax in the form o!
lossof time and witness fees, simply be-
cause the State does not afford them
the necessary machinery for the trial
OF their causes.
In addition to the cost of the pres
ent Circuit Court, County Court
would cost Tor each county not less than
from 81, 300 to $1,000. Should the
General Assembly see fit to reduce the
salaries Of Judges to S., 700 each, there
will be further saving of 50, 900, leav
ing only 81, 40 to be made up it tho
way before mentioned.