New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-18

parallel In any other department OF the Govern
ment
In the last Congress the Senate unanimously
passed bill raising the salaries of the Judges Of
the Court of Claims to 5000 The House committee
smothered It, and still refuses to act on it. A
reason given Is that plenty OF men can be found
to do the work at the present pay. The same ar
gument applies TO Congress. 1t is safe to say that
hundreds be found In every district who will
agree to for half what members get, but
Congressman do not propose 10 reduce their own
pay that account. 1t should be purely a ques-
ton OF adequate and Just compensation for the
learning, character and ability which the Gov
eminent and the sutton ought to have in the
ond highest court in the country. To emphasize
the treatment which Congress has melted out to
the Court. the House. in the Navy Personnel
bill. provides that to admiral shall be paid
nearly double what the judges receive, and to
commodores and captains much more, and even
commanders higher salary Eight thousand
dollars year-the salary they vote without demur
to pay admral-woul1 put the compensation
of these judges a level with that given 10
Judges of the Federal Circuit Courts
Few persons realize the importance and variety
of the questions involving immense sums, which
the Court of Claims is called upon to determine
International and constitutional law, treaties with
foreign Powers, Indian treaties involving vast
tracts, intricate ard difficult land grants and titles
patent law. must all be traversed, and recently
there has been left to this court the settlement
of the right bounty for destruction of enemys
ships of every officer and in the Navy who
took part in the with Spain
1t may be safely said that court Of first in
stance in the world has passed upon more important
and far reaching issues determined title to such
large values. Not only has the Court of Claims
done this, but II has exposed and defeated numer-
Gus fraudulent claims which Congress had failed
to detect and 1t stands alone in another respect
in that ii has turned into the Treasury recovered
for the Government counter claims. money
than its entire cost since its foundatio
The country will come to be aware of these facts.
and realizing them, and that the Court of Claims
is the peoples court the tribunal where the
tractor who has been pushed to the wall by an
arbitrary military officer the letter carrier who
has been forced to work overtime, the widow whose
property has been taken, the fisherman whose boat
has been run down by a ship of war, the employe
whose pay has been withheld. the patentee whose
rights have been infringed, the Puerto Rican mer-
chant who wishes his status determined the
may find justice and redress, will ask why this
unjust discrimination is persisted in For ability
and learning the decisions of the Court rank with
the highest and its members of proved
integrity character and training, who would adorn
any bench. The bar is unanimous In asking
| ton, and the House committee should
1t Is 10 be noticed that Congressman receive at
the rate of $1,000 month for time actually M
ployed, besides mileage and clerk, while the
judges, with much more exacting and constant
labor, get only $375 month The excuse long made
that the revenues were not equal to the expenditure
has ceased to exist.