The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-06
TO CUT COURT EXPENSES.
MAYOR MELDRIM TO LOOK INTO
CITY COURT CHARGES.

Clerk Collins in Conference with
the MayOr-He Explains why the
Court Expenses Are Greater Than
They Were-The sheriff More In
terestcd i'm the Reduction Than the
CIerk-Mayor MeIdrim Says the
Bills VIII he Paid If They Are All
Right, But No Charges VIII BE
Paid for Which the city Is Not Liza
bile.
Mayor Meldrim and Mr.. J. S. Collins,
clerk Of the city court, had
long conference Yesterday in
reference to the bills Of the
| city court officers, which are held up, pend
ing the investigation of certain items.
What transpired between the two gentle
men is not known. Mayor Me.drim sim
ply said, when seen by a Morning News
reporter, that the charges Of the city court
would be thoroughly investigated by him
self and by the finance committee.
If the bills are correct they will be
paid, and if they are not correct they will
not be paid" he said Il have not the
slightest desire to deprive those gentlemen
of one cent to which they are legally en-
titled, but no charges win be paid for
The expense Of the city court has before
now required the attention of council, and
has been restricted by that body in every
way possible. Three or four years ago,
during Mayor McDonough's adminstra-
ton, it was brought to the attention of
council that the officers of the court
charged a double per diem when required
to do both day and night duty, and that in
addition to this they made two charges
for the same day when the criminal side
of the court was adjourned and the civil
side was called and vice versa. The mat
ter was referred to the city attorney, Mr..
s. b. Adams for an opinion. The city
attorney rendered an opinion to council
that not only did the officers of the court
have no right to make double charges for
the same day on account of the sitting of
both branches of the court on that day,
but that they were not entitled to an ex-
| ira per diem when required to do extra
duty at night The latter was regarded as
something of a hardship uDon the officers
OF the court, but it was accepted by coun-
eli and acted upon accordingly. This pol
icy was pursued up 20 a year or more ago,
when the officers of the court resumed the
charging of extra per diems for night duty.
| Ihelr blllS were not queStiOn by council
until Alderman Ifedeman raised a point
last DecemDef, ana II was ordered by
council that no per dicms should be paid
! for night duty. This order has since been
The point on which Mayor Meldrim with
| held his approval of the bills was that
| charges had been made for services for
| the live days intervening between the
| close OF the November term and the open
! ing of the February term, and also thar
I a pllI ior so Tor services by negro oail-
| if in bringing prisoners to and from the
| Jan was charge that should be betrayed
| by the sheriff, as he is allowed specified
| fee for. that duty The reason given by
RI ori hlf nor
| diem for the five days and that the charges
| hdd been approved by Judge Norwood
! because, although court would not be in
| session, the officer would be busy during
! that time in issuing and serving SUD
! p02mas, was answered by pointing ont
thal Inc OtncerS are allowed fee of 80
| cents Tor serving each of these subpOends
Mr. Collins, clerk of the court when
! spoken to about these matters, said II
am not as much Interest," ted in the pay
! ment OF these items as are the other Off
/ GERS OF the court, as my remuneration
/ comes chiefly from fees and costs In
| cldentaIy l might say, however, that l
! nave not received a cent from these
] sources during the last three moAths and
/ nave besides paid $llO out of my pocket
! Tor expenses of my Offices This is because
! there has been no business in the court
| To explain why the expenses Of the civ
| court nave increased would be a long
! story. For one thing there is one, or per-
! maps Two, / am not certain, more officers
! there than before. Another item is the
! appointment OF negro bailiff, by order
! OF Judge Norwood, at a salary of $40
! month. When Judge Norwood took his
| once ne found that there was a negro
! balm who was paid SIS a month for serving
! suDpoenas on the Ogeechee river and
! other remote parts of the county He
! only reported on Saturdays. Judge Nor
| wood thought that it would be well to
| nave him regularly employed at this work
! ana increased his pay to $50 a month
| am ready TO give council any information
! l possess and to cooperate with ii in
/ reducing expenses of the court as far a.
| may be proper. l think it would be a
| mistake, however. as well as a hardship
! upon the officers of the court to carry
| out the order recently issued
! by Mayor Meldrim, that the
| officers should be allowed
| their per diem only on those DAYS on
! which the court is actually i'm session
! Court may not be in session more than
! one-half of the days of the term. but
! the officers of the court must always
! be ready to be in attendance at any time
! They cannot engage in any other occnpa-
! ton. If they are only allowed their Der
diem for thirteen or fourteen days Out Of
! the month, the compensation would not
! be sufficient to secure good men The
per diem OF the deputies and bafliffs is
| only ". Is my compensation comes large
! " from fees and costs the enforcement
of this order would not affect me greatly
! but 1t would be a hardship upon the other
/ officers of the court"
After the matter has been considered nv
/ the mayor and finance commit lee some
| plan Of reducing the expenses Of the court
! may be decided upon.