Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-08-31
INCREASE IN COURT EXPENSES.
at the Rally In ouiIford Centre Tues
day nIqht.

state Auditor Graham Told All About II
at the Rally In ouiIford Centre Tues
day night.
State Auditor II. +. Graham OF Crafts
bury, in an address on state expenses at
a Republican rally in Guilford Centre
Tuesday night, met the Clement allega-
ton of extravaganza by making n state
ment in detail Of the various Items which
have gone to make up the increase. Some
OF the accounts to which he called at
tention are covered in an editorial from
the Burlington News reprinted in this
paper. One item of increase in particular,
which has not been analysed In the pub
lie print, is that OF court expenses. which
were in round numbers $4,000 larger in
1905 than in 1882. the years which the
Clement literary bureau has selected in
its comparison Of state expenses.
Mr.. Graham showed that since 1882 the
length of the sessions OF county courts
has increased an average OF 80 days a
year, that the average cost of county
court is about 800 day and that this
item alone amounts to approximately
$50. 900 In 1882 the states attorneys re-
ceived small salary and one fourth of
the fines collected. Now the salaries are
larger, but the fines are paid into the
state treasury. The increase in these
salaries is S6000 but 1t is Offset by the
additional amount paid into the treas
ury in fines. Another $4,000 Is accounted
for by an increase OF $500 in the salary
of each OF the seven supreme court
Judges, together with their expenses
while away from home. The salaries OF
the judges OF probate have been increased
on the same basis as those of the states
attorneys, making $1,000. Formerly the
counties paid for the fuel, lights and
water rents of the court houses and jais.
Now this is paid by the state, and
amounts to $4,000. The item OF board
for prisoners is $4,000 larger than 1t was
in 1882, and this increase has come about
largely since the license law went into
effect. The salary Of the attorney gem
eral, with expenses, is something over
$4,000
In these items over $780, 900 Of increase
is accounted for in the administration OF
justice. The state now eXpends much
more than formerly in the defense of re-
spondents in county and Justice courts
in every town and county, which
amounts 10 a large sum.
Another thing TO which Mr.. Graham al
luded was the statement of Mr.. Clement
| that the auditors report for the year
ending June &c. 1908, failed to account
| for $1467.S0 of the amount charged up to
legislative expenses for the legislature of
| 1902, the insinuation being that the sum
had been pocieted by somebody. Mr..
| Graham read a letter from State Treas
urer Bacon, dated Aug. IS, 1906, which
accounted for the money In question to
the last cent. On account of an ad-
journment of the legislature for a
Thanksgiving recess the session did not
end until Dec. IS. The expenses Of the
session previous to Dec. were included
in the report TO which Mr.. Clement re-
fers. All expenses for the 10 days in
December had to go over to the next
years report. The expense for those IS
days is given on page 164 Of the report
for that year and amounts to exactly
| $1467.S0