The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-01-15

SOME attention, says the Philadelphia
Press, is being directed to the fact that a
number of common pleas
Jndges in the interior districts are clear
ly abusing that provision OF the law
which permits them 10 sit outside their
districts ur.der certain circumstances
the nrovisi0n was intended wholly to re-
lieve those Judges who might be under
some disability by en- billing them t.
snmmon assistance
That the law was clearly taken advan-
taee of by some judg.'s as means OF ~
creasiug their pay attracted the attention
of the Legislature of 1887 That body
passed au act specifically declaring that
the compensation for services IN an
other district shall not exceed $500 IN
anv one year. This does not appear to
have been of much account with some
of the Judges According to the audi
tor generals report for 1894 there were
| not less than nine judges whose extra
| compensa ton exceeded the lawful
| amount and some of these received more
than double the amount. The succeed
ing wear. as the rep,r of the same OH
ciaI shows, the abuse was still greater,
some of the judges Re Giving nearly three
times the amount 10 which they are
limited by the act OF 1887. There were
also more cases than in the previous
wear. The figures for the past year are
not at hand, the record of the auditor
general not having been printed.
MANY thousands of dollars are added
every year to the cost of the Judiciary
establishment OF the state by this prac-
tice of certain judges changing off with
each other II Is carried to an extent
which cannot be excused. The com
pensation allowed for this extra service
is so a day and mileage, and the
amount paid some indicates that they
must have spent nearly one-half then
Time outside their districts, where they
either did not have enough TO keep
themselves busy one-half the time oil
they must have called in other judges
to take their place while they. were ab.
| sent. 1t is a well known fact that in 8
large number of districts a few weeks
of court each year are enough to finish
up all the business, and that the mum
profit to the state and no injury to any
one.
In view OF the act of 1887 it is difficult
to understand what authority there i!
for allowing any judge compensation ex
ceeding $500 year for extra services
There has been no subsequent legisla
ton to annul that act, ahd its terms are
very explicit. If it is not to he obeyeC
the legislature must feel called upon tC
take some further action that will rend
er evasion impossible. The existing
temptation to swap districts for the pay
there is in it would be done away with i
all pay beyond the fixed salary OF tn,
judge were abolished, and only mileag
and fair allowance for expenses per
mitted for service outside the district
If there is no restraint upon this abuse
if the limit fixed by the act of lSS
amounts to nothing, there is no limit t
the amount of expenditure that may re
suit.
As the law clearly does not have tn
effect that was intended, since many
judges get much more than it permits
the legislature needs to look into tn
question. 1t should ascertain why
plain declaration of law has no fore
and how proper force may be given i