Evening journal., 1901-02-26
SALARIES oF JUDGES

Pending in the Legislature Is a bill
increasing the salaries Of the chancel-
lor and chief Justice. What will be-
come Of 1t is a matter of conjecture
Perhaps it may be well to call the
attention of our legislators to an arti-
Gle in Law Notes in which a list of the
salaries of the judges of the higher
courts In the several States of the
Union, compiled by c. d. Merrck, of
West Virginia, is discussed.
The judges Of the Supreme Court of
New York in New York county receive
s17,5OO annually, and those in Brook
lyn $4,000 Next to them come the
judges of the Supreme Court of the
United States and the Court Of Appeals
Of New York, who receive $4,000, with
$500 more for The chief justices. In
New Jersey the chancellor and Judges
receive $40, 1000 each. Following them
come the Supreme Court judges of
Pennsylvania who receive $4,000, and
the chief justice $500. The Supreme
Court judges of Michigan receive ST.
900. Massachusetts, pays S6500 with
81 600 for the chief justice. Califor-
MAS Supreme Court judges get $4,000,
while little Rhode Island gives $500.
Illinois pays $1,000; Colorado, Ken
lucky, Minnesota and Ohio, $4,000:
Nevada and Indiana, s4,5OO Connect
cut, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota,
Texas and Washington, $4,000. In Ala
hama, Arkansas, Georgia, Delaware,
Florida, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi.
New Hampshire. Oregon and Tennessee,
the salaries range from $500 to 3d.
600. Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North
Carolina. South Carolina, South. Da-
kota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West
Virginia and Wyoming fall below the
SO 600 mark. The salaries are highest
in the commercial States of the East
and upper Mississippi Valley, and low
est in the Southern and extreme West
ern states-California being an ex-
ception.
Says Law Notes: These salaries,
perhaps, furnish a fair idea OF what is
a good average income for
a lawyer in leading practice in their
respective sections, though of course
other circumstances must be taken
into account. Amcng such c.rcum-
stances are the dignity and perma-
nence Of the judicial office, for it is
the rule TO re-elect judges who perform
their duties with care and ability; the
impoverished condition OF many OF
our commemorative; and the influence
OF a narrow rural spirit upon the
State Legislatures. In all the States,
.of course, lawyers are to be found who
have incomes greatly exceeding those
paid ID the judges, but these MEN
must be considered as exceptions. It
lis noteworthy that at the present time,
under the influence of a general pros
per.ty. there is in several States a
movement to increase the salaries OF
the judges. Last year such move
ments failed with respect to the Fed
eral judiciary and in certain States.
We hope they will be more successful
during the present season OF law-mak-
ing"
Here in Delaware we are not paying
our judges the salaries they deserve,
Many Of them so on the bench at a
heavy pecuniary sacrifice We have
judges whose legal ability is as great
as that OF the Judges in almost any
Of the States, and the decisions of oul
courts are looked upon with great re
speot by the bench and bar OF Othel
States We think it is time that tn,
ability and salaries Of our judges
should be eaualized