The Washington times., 1901-12-04
APPOINTMENT OF
JUSTICES OPPOSED.
ANTITRUST LEAGUE PROTESTS,
Resolutions Declare Provisions Os
New District Code IA burden to
Taxpayers-Sennte Asked
to Investigate.

The legislative committee of the Anti
Trust League at its meeting last night,
adopted the following resolutions in ref
erence to amending the new District code:
Extrnvagant District Expenditures.
Whereas there is for the first time in
ten years deficit of $500. .1S2.57 in the rev.
| enues OF the District of Columbia, caused
by the unnecessary and extravagant ex
penditure of money that was at the dis
| posal of the authorities, and who. as
shown by the report of the Auditor for the
District OF Columbia, ha - heaped a debt
on the already overburdened taxpayers of
! this municipality to such an extent that
they have just cause for concern; and
Whereas the law as it now stands pro
vides for fifteen justices of the peace.
with fees for earnings; the law under the
new code, which goes into effect January
l. 1902. provides for the appointment of
ten justices of the peace at an annual sal
ary of $4,000 with $3.50 annually for office
rent. and other expenses, making an in
crease in the already enormous debt OF
! several thousand dollars annually for the
overtaXed taxpayers TO def-ay all Of
whom believe that said justices of the
peace should be compensated solely and ex-
clusively from the costs of suits they de-
rive from Iitigants instituting legal pro-
ceedings before them like the course now
in vogue, and that the taxpayers should
not be compelled to contribute toward the
salaries OF said justices where n very
small portion of them are in any wise in
terested in suits brought before such JUS
tees OF the peace; and
President Influenced by Outsiders.
a 81,
ten justices Of the peace upon recon-
mendations made by the citizens of the
District of Columbia, but did make the
appointments at the instance and upon iu-
fuence brought by that class of citizens
who have their legal domicile beyond the
District line and cast their vote at cleo
tion time in their respective States. hav
ing no interest in the welfare of the peo-
pie of Washington, but are continually
bringing to bear their influence in all
local appointments, whether beneficial to
the city and its citizens or not; and
Whereas Chapter 1, section 2, of the
new code provides salary at a far larger
figure than the income from fees would
average the majority of the justices of
the peace; and also gives the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia con-
current jurisdiction with that of the JUS
tices of the peace in all suits, with few
exceptions. involving the sum Of $4,000
or upward; thereby increasing the number
of suits for the higher court and decreas-
ing the number of suits to be tried in the
justice of the peace court: Therefore
be il
senate Investigation Asked.
Resolved. That the law as set forth in
Chapter I, section ?. of the new code,
which is to take effect January 1, 1902,
viii work great hardship aHd injustice
upon the citizens OF the District Of Co.
lumbia; and
Resolved That the honorable body OF
the United States Senate Is hereby re-
quested TO have the law as contained in
section Of Chapter l of new Code of the
District of Columbia amended so as not
to go into effect until Congress is able 10
investigate this very important subject
more fully