Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-31
SOME LOCAL MEASURES.
Bills Introduced In the Senate Affect
Ing District Interests.

Ing District interests.
Mr.. Elkins today introduced in the Senate
a bill for increasing the salaries of justices
of the courts of the District of Columbia,
which was referred to the committee on the
Judiciary. 1t provides:
THAT from and after the date hereof the
chief justice of the Court Of Appeals OF the
District of Columbia shall have an annual
salary of $500 and each of the associate
justices of the said court an annual salary
of $1,000; and that the chief justice and
associate justices of the Supreme Court OF
the District of Columbia shall each receive
an annual salary of $3.50. &C."
The above proposes an increase Of 5000
a year each in the salaries of justices OF
the Court of Appeals, and s., 500 in the SAL
aries of justices of the District Supreme
Court, making total increase of ST., 600 a
year.
The bill is accompanied by an unsigned
memorial in it's support, which declares the
salaries of justices and judges of the courts
of the United States to be VIGOROUSLY low,
not only less than salaries paid in England
and other foreign nations, but less even
than the compensation allowed to police
justices in some of the states of the Union.
The memorial continues:
For years there has been an effort to
place the compensation OF the district and
circuit judges of the courts of the United
States on a more equitable basis than they
now are, but the federal courts in the Dis
trict of Columbia stand apart and alone,
and on very different plane from the cir
cult and district courts and the circuit
courts Of appeal. Their duties are very
different in their scope, and the cost of lir-
ing in Washington is larger than in most
other places where the federal courts meet.
1.-THE Supreme Court of the District Of
Columbia is probably the court of largest
jurisdiction in the United States, as 1t Is
not only a federal court for all federal pur-
poses, having all the Jurisdiction of the
circuit and district courts of the United
States, but likewise vested for the District
of Columbia with all the jurisdiction that
a state court can exercise within a state.
1T has also most important functions with
respect to the officers of the federal gov
eminent. and numerous causes are drawn
to 1t by reason of the fact that the seat of
the federal government Is here.
THE Court Of Appeals Of the District of
Columbia has an appellate jurisdiction CO.
extensive with the original jurisdiction Of
the Supreme Court of the District and the
Police Court; and has likewise a special
appellate jurisdiction in potent cases ad-
Indicated by the commissioner of patents
"An these courts are in continuous ses-
sion for nine months in each year. Even
during the summer months one of the JUS
tees Of the Supreme Court of the District
is required to be in constant attendance,
and they divide that period between them.
During the summer months the justices
of the Court of Appeals are frequently re-
appeals. And the justices of all the courts
have occasion to carry much of their bust
ness with them for the summer months.
The business of all these courts, therefore,
is exceedingly engrosSing. 1t practically
precludes any and all other business. And
yet the salaries now paid them, as well as
those proposed by the bill, are less than
any professional man with a fair active
practice can realize
To Pave Lydecker Avenue.
Mr.. Elkins has given notice in the Senate
of an amendment he will propose to the
District appropriation bill appropriating
$4,000 for paving 14th street to Lydecker
avenue and Lydecker avenue to east side of
18th street.
To Sell Part of Potomac Park.
Mr.. Elkins introduced in the Senate a
bill authorizing the sale of a part of the
Potomac River Park, which was referred
to the committee on the District of Column
bia- The bill recites that the Secretary of
War. under authority of law. leased to Lit
tlefield and Alvord for five years from jan
uary &, 1893, a certain plat of ground at the
Of and contiguous to the property now oc-
cupied and owned by Littlefield and Ache
son. and used as wharf and bounded on
the south by the Potomac river The bill
provides that in view of the large expen-
diture made by Littlefield and Acheson this
property be sold to them, as the land is
declared not to be necessary for the SYM
metry of the park, being the extreme west
ern point of the park