The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-14

1Of the duties ana expenses.
Il believe the Scales bill is lust. bur
DO not suggest to you to adopt either
the Scales or Ward bill, but that you
will take both under consideration.
and do what you believe is right But
| [ do believe that the salary of the
chief Justice should be larger than
that of the associate Justices In mCsl
all states there is this distinction, ana
the reason is evident. because of his
official relation to the State and Wiien
the Supreme Court is not in session
he has duties to do 1t is an appro-
pirate time for North Carolina to
RECOGNIZES the services of the chief
Justice of the State. Consider the
work he has done. many years he
gave freely. without compensation, to
the great services he has been engaged
in, and you too will see that now is all
appropriate time. to recognize his SER
vices.
"This proposition is so plain that
waste my time in prolonging this dis
cusson"
Al the conclusion Of Nh Busbee's
remarks Judge Womack spoke as
follows
Enthusiastically rs to the amount
i'm my mind. the amount in the board
bill should be tn minimum. Eign-
teen years ago when l travelled upon
the banch with railroad passes, /
barely lived with the salary / got, and
came out in debt. The judges now
on the bench, it has been said. coulu
not make more money than they are
1ow receiving; in any other business
There are ten lawyers in this county
making more than our five supreme
Court Judges, and the same is true Of
Winston, Charlotte and other towns.
( believe we should pay our judges
about what they might make in their
practice. Numbers of lawyers are
making twice and some three times
more than re are paying our Supreme
.,ourt judges. 1t is a shame on our
State The Supreme Court bench is
he acme of the ambition of our law
gers, and when LAWYER is called TO
sit uDon that bench he should not
oe compelled to make such unreason-
bile sacrifices If | should live upon
the salary these judges are getting. /
should be obliged to go into debt.
Il do not think it would be wise to
suggest an amount that YOU know
would meet with opposition.
Mr. Pou was the last TO speak OF
those not members of the COMMITTEES,
md said in part;
"All agre that the salaries are wholly
nadeouate. The salary of the Su-
terior Court judges is $1.750 The
lumber of days Superior Court judges
ire away from home attending court
s 252 days You will agree with me
hat travelling. paying railroad trans
Jortation, hotel bills. carriages. ETC.,
s nard for less than So per day. They
annot do it for less than $3.50 per day
md that would be $57S, and that
would leave him about $1.S00.
The judges, nearly all have famil-
es. and while on the bench they have
lot the means of increasing their es-
ates. and when YOU deduct his trav-
cling expenses premium on $4,000
insurance, it will bring his salary down
O $500. Ny opinion is that they are
he least paid officials in the state
Notably because their compensation
inadequate"
judges Merrimon Winston. Mont
;omery. Shenck. Common and others
esigned from the position because OF
his fact.
1--WE all realize that the people of
North Carolina are living better tnan
hey did ten years ago. more Literally
nd contentedly. and these salaries
we're fixed wnen the peoples tastes
we're more simple and plain than they
re now. The honor is great, ana
hev appreciate it, and while there IS
10 threat on the part of the judges
I is q serious matter to ask a man 10
erve the State at so much less than
he would get at home in ppVate
ivocationS.
,avs Il bookkeeper more than our
judges receive. They get eighteen 60
wenty hundred dolls RS, staying home.
so far from asking you TO rush
his matter | would ask you to med!-
ate upor t. consider Il fully, and its
merits viii grow upon YOU.
Il don't believe the judges shoula
O. a.
more pay every officer Il fiat salary,
md let him pay his expenses. do
lot like these extra allowances. Ihls
S not a systenn that meets the high
st appreciation Of the tax payer.
with regard to the chief justice
there should be given him a little larger
alary. There are Guties which by law
INVOLVE upon the chief justice. and
which nc one but he can perform.
tlnost every term of Supreme Court:
lie alone, can allow writ of error TO
20 to the Supreme Court of the
United states.
81 feel the judges are greatly IN
Ier-paid We arc rot in the position
If appearing for the judges, but tax
)ayers. having the same interests as
rou and we believe something ought
20 be done"
Mr.. Scales said that the sentiment
.eemei 20 he so universal in favor
If an increase that he did not deem
necessary to speak on that part of
he subject.
lie said further:
q am favoring the bill introduced
~ me NOT because it is my bill, but
because | believe the figures there are
proper Consider the net receipts
What he has after he has paid the
expenses attending upon the discharge
IF his duties. ] have estimated care
ullv the net salary of the judges. ard
can be safely said that his net SAL
Try is $1.7J0,
"NVhen the Judge comes out of Of
ice he finds himself stripped of his
practice, even partially unified him.
self for the practice having come in
o a judicial tempre; and he is wholly
Without means of subsistence. 1t Is
lot right for North Carolina TO re-
uIire These Judges 10 perform their