New-York tribune., 1902-01-16
SIXTEEN JUDGES ASKED.
PROPOSALS TO INCREASE THE MEM
BERS IN APPELLATE DIVISION.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE ]

Albany Jan. Ex-Governor Odell said tonight,
in reply TO an inquiry, that his recommendation
in his message that the Governor "alone be
empowered on the request of the chief of the
appellate division of any judicial department of
the State" to make assignments of judges to
districts other than their own was made solely
with the purpose of putting all the appellate
divisions on equality.
Some central authority in the opinion of
prominent members Of the legislature is needed
to supervise the assignment of the Judges of the
Supreme Court At the present time Judges
Hatch, Laughlin, Kenefck and Woodward of
the With Judicial District, at work in the
Ist and lid Judicial districts Nevertheless.
Senator Bowling introduced an amendment to
the constitution to-day providing for the cleo
ton of eight more Supreme Court judges in the
Ist Judicial District Senator McCarren. more
over, has introduced an amendment to the con-
stitutiOn providing for the election of five more
judges of the Supreme Court in the lid Judicial
District This makes a grand total of thirteen
Supreme Court judges for the Ist and lid Ju-
dicial districts.
Judge Mclaughlin. of the IVth Judicial Dis
trict, and Judge Mattce, of the With Judicial
District also have been designated for duty in
New-York courts.
THE COMPLAINT OF LAWYERS.
Lawyers are complaining that this detach-
ment of judges from the interior of the State
for duty in New-York City is diminishing too
greatly the number of Supreme Court judges
assigned to work in the interior of the State
and Senator Davis. of Buffalo, has indicated a
belief in the With Judicial District that more
judges needed in it by introducing an
amendment TO the constitution providing for
the election of three additional Supreme Court
judges in that district In three proposed
amendments to the constitution, therefore the
people invited to give their consent to the
addition of sixteen Supreme Court judges to the
present number.
In the mean time Senator Slater has proposed
an amendment TO the constitution, providing
that as often the number of cases upon the
calendar OF the trial term Of the Supreme Court
in any county shall exceed two thousand the
Appellate Division of the department embracing
such county shall certify such fact to the Gov
ernor, who shall thereupon designate such
number of county judges not exceeding ten as
he shall deem necessary, to act justices of the
Supreme Court for such time he shall desig-
nate but longer than until the number of
causes upon the said calendar shall have been
reduced to two thousand"
A VIEW OF SLATER's PLAN.
A lawyer who favors Senator Slaters amend
ment TO the constitution, said tonight:
Several of the Supreme Court judges were
county judges before they reached the higher
court, and the county judges have many cases
of Importance before them. Some of them have
had more legal experience than some or the
Supreme Court judges. If 1t is deemed wise TO
give the Governor power to designate judges OF
the Supreme Court for PLACES in the Court of
Appeals, II would seem equally wise TO permit
of the designation of county judges 70 act as
Supreme Court Judges.