Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-25
Judges Submit Estimates for Next
Years. Expenses :
ASK NcREAg4f OWN SALARIES
Necessity .fa Additional Clerical
Force lso Presented.
A NEW BUILDING NEEDED

The District Commissioners have received
from Judges 1. G. Kimban and Charles F.
Scott an estimate sof the cost for running
the Police Court during the fscal5year end
ing June 80. 19os.a The; total amount asked
Is $50. S67. In submitting the estimates the
judges say:
The only changes we have made from the
appropriation for the fiscal year ending
June 30 1902, is an increase in the judges
salary to $4,000 each per annum, as has
been recommended by the honorable Com
mfssioners for the two years last past; we
have asked for 1888 per annum each for
the three bailiffs instead of 5000 each, and
also for an additional deputy clerk to col
iect fines, penalties, &c, in the Police
Court at an annualcsalary of $780,
With reference to the proposed increase
in the judges salaries from $1,000 to 81. 200
of the work done by them requires legal
knowledge of the highest order, reaching
out, as 1t does, more than any other court
in the District. into the home and daily
life of each household in the community,
and in their judgment demands the salary
estimated.
Declared From Practicin9 Law.
Further" they say, being judges I'M
der the United States law. we are debarred
from in any way practicing our profession
and are compelled to give our whole time.
holidays included, to the duties Of the Of
fee. The salary as estimated for is less
than that paid to police court judges in
most Of the large cities Of the United
States, and it does not seem to us just that
the Police Court judges in the capital city.
doing the service that we are doing, not
only for this community, but for the cit
liens of the whole country, should be paid
the small salary now allowed us.
The change with reference to the bailiffs
in the Police Court is made in accordance
with the provisions OF section IS of the new
municipal code of the District of Columbia,
which provides that the said bailiffS shall
receive each the sum Of 1899 per annum.'
Conditions in Clerks ONCE.
Under the same code new duties have
been imposed upon the clerk of the Police
Court, to wit, the collection of fines i'm
posed by both branches Of the court. I'm
der the present law two men are employe
to perform said duties, to wit, a deputy
marshal to collect the fine imposed in the
United States branch Of the court and
police officer is detailed to collect the fines
imposed In the District of Columbia branch
We have in place of these two men esti-
mated for one deputy clerk to perform said
duties.
1T is doubtful whether one man can prop
eriy collect the fines and do all the work
necessary In the premises. We have how
ever, estimated for but one deputy and
have asked that his pay be $3.50. 1t is a
reasonable amount taking into considera-
ton the large amount of funds he will
have to handle and the great amount OF
work incident to the place 1t would not
be good economy to get a cheap man to
fill this position.
I'VE have omitted from our estimates the
deputy marshal. In our judgment the ep-
preparation for said office should not be
asked for under the estimates asked for by
the judges Of the Police Court, but should
be appropriately estimated for under the
regular appropriation for the United States
marshal of the District of Columbia. All
the other estimates are the same as those
appropriated for in the last appropriation
bill.
New Building Absolutely Required.
I'VE desire again to call your attention
to the unsuitable character Of the building
in which the sessions of the Police Court
are now held. In every respect it Is not
adapted for the purposes for which it Is
used. There are no rooms in the building
suitable to tranaact the business required
of the attorneys for the United States and
the District of Columbia. The cells are in
sanitary and are IN such 4 condition that
1t is inhuman especially in the hot weather
Of summer, to lock prisoners In them.
They are built UPON ground not owned
by the District, and for which the Dis
trict pays an annual rental OF 5000. The
building itself Is In every way insan.tary
The amount expended year by year to
keep it in anything like proper condition
would go far toward paying the interest
OF the sum necessary to replace the build
ing by a modern one.
I'VE recommend that action be taken at
once to condemn sufficient ground to the
east and north of that now owned by the
istrict and used by the Police Court or set
apart sufficient ground, property of the
United States, for the purpose. and that q
suitable buildin,, be erected thereon Could
the members of the appropriations commit
tee Of the House Of Representatives. and
the Senate view the building in its ordinary
condition on busy day we do not think
the appropriation necessary to provide such
a building. We respectfully urge you to
take this matter up in your report to Con-
gress and also to present it in the strong
est light before the appropriations COM