The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-06
A LITTLE FIGURING.

Minds sometimes run in the same
channels. A. V. Gear was figuring out
the cost of the Court of Claims a little
after the same calculation was made
in the office of The Star. Mr.. Gears
results were given in the meeting of
the Executive Council yesterday after
noon. The Stars results are given here:
The original request of the Executive
for means for the Court of Claims was
500, 900. The committee of the Council
cut this down to about half the sum.
1t is quite interesting to figure upon
what the proposed Court of Claims
would do, and how near $4,000 would
come to paying expenses, and how far
short $4,000 would be.
How many claims are there likely to
be which require adjudication? Opin-
ions upon the point are various. They
range from 1000 to 10000, and the prob
ability is that 5000 will be a safe esti-
mate. Therefore, for purposes of argu-
ment, let us allow 5000 cases. The court
is to sit four hours day. Each case
will have to be recorded questions will
have to be asked, witnesses will have
to be examined. The commissioners
will have to consult one another and
the counsel for the petitioner and for
the defendant Government will have
to be heard.
The estimate of what number of cases
can be handled in four hours differs as
much as the estimate upon the total
differs. 1t will be interesting to figure
on maximum and minimum. A gentle
man acquainted with the probate court
of Cook county, Chicago, says 16 cases
a day. A gentleman of great experience
in Hawaiian courts, and knowing Ha-
waiian methods, says not more than
cases a day.
Let us take the Chicago mans esti-
mate first. Five thousand cases at the
rate of 16 cases a day would require
312 days to complete. Taking abe fig
ures proposed by the Executive for pay
of commissioners, five men at $40 per
day, would amount to $50. If the COM
mission sat for 312 days the salary roll
for them alone, would amount to $15 800.
But it was also proposed to defend the
cases, ait the rate of 81 a case Were
this carried out, over 5000 cases, the
attorney for the defence ould carry off
$4,000, upon which he would be able to
buy real estate, Olaa stocks, take a trip
abroad, or build Roman mansion. At
that calculation the lawyers connected
with the Court of Claims would pocket
amongst them $50, 600 And this has
nothing to say of stenographers, clerks,
interpreters and such small fry, whose
pay would amount to several thousand
dollars more.
But these figures pale before the re-
suits if only five ceases were adjudicat-
ed upon on the average. Five thousand
cases at cases a day, would take just
1000 days, or about three years, seeing
that Sundays and legal holidays are not
counted. A court at $50 per day would
cost exactly $4,000 The fees for de-
Tending cases would amount to $35.0OO,
and the interpreters, etc, could easily
get away with $4,000 in three years
making total of 100000. And this
simply to examine the claims, but not
to give an authoritative answer as tc
whether they will be paid or not. After
we had paid up the 100000 we would
still have to be scratching around to
find some means to pay the claims, and
then have to wait till the Legislature
or the Council of State should meet and
approve the bills.
Figuring in this way the numbers
look large, but they are not nearly as
much as would be the case If all the
claimants fees We're taken into con-
sideration. 1t would be a sum we'll on
to a quarter of a million. OF course,
this would be very comfortable little
spoil to go into the pockets Of the legal
fraternity. 1t would, indeed, be getting
a very fat oyster, which would make
the bar fat and well liking, but how
very thin the shell which the claimants
would get, would be. But who did the
figuring which brought forth $4,000, or
was any figuring done at all. One is
inclined to think that 1t was like one
of Rowell's estimates-haphazar