The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-02-07
Our Raleigh Letter.
GORMAN NEWS BUREAU, /
RALEIGH. N. G.. Feb. 4. [


II the lawyers in the legislature get
through looking after their own and
agree upon the provisions OF the measure
now pending in the Senate to fix the
compensation OF the prosecuting officers
of the sixteen judicial districts OF the
State, several other bills of State impor-
lance will this week get chance to pass
through the legislative hopper.
weeks been a source OF contention in the
Senate and last Saturday was for the
third time made the special order for
further consideration-this time being
set for Wednesday noon. 1t is to be
hoped that it will be finally disposed OF
80 far as the Senate is concerned. There
il little division Of sentiment on the gen
eral proposition to change the system
from ices to a fixed salary but the trou-
bic is over what that salary should be in
the several districts and when the change
should go into effect. AS the bill now
stands, with the Aycock amendment, it
would not go into effect till January,
1909, and az that amendment has been
accepted by the author of the bill it is
likely to remain in the bill as finally
passed. The fight Wednesday will be
over the question of adopting the plan
of Senator Howard to pay varying sal
aries in the several districts according to
the number of terms of court and the
amount OF criminal business transacted,
save being fixed at eighteen hundred
dollars and most of them ranging from
two Thousand to thirty-fve hundred.
As the bill now stands latter the adOp-
ton Friday last of the amendment OF
Senator McLean) no solicitor shall re-
ceive more than 80 500 and if the usual
fees as now paid do not amount to that
sum he ehall receive no more than the
fees do amount to- At present some OF
the solicitors are receiving, under the fee
system, more money than either the
Attorney General or the Chief Justice,
some of them getting four thousand and
forty five hundred dollars out OF the
office
A new bill has been introduced during
the last week to increase the number of
judicial districts of the State. There is
already one bill in the hands OF the SEN
ate committee on judicial districts to the
same effect, providing for four more SUI
perior court judges and. of course, four
more solicitors From conversations
which this writer has had recently with
senator's and remarks made on the floor
OF the Senate during the several debates
on the Solicitors Salary bill, this Legis
lature will refuse to pass any bill with
that object in view.
Nothing definite has developed yet with
regard to what will be done by this Leg
islature for the additional care and
treatment of the uncared-for indi cent in
sane persons of the State. There are
several bills on the subject of ''epileptics
and idiots" in the hands Of the commit
tees But just what kind of bill the com
mittees will finally evolve cannot be
foretold with any degree of accuracy at
this time They have neglected and put
off this pressing appeal of the helpless
unfortunate SO many times that it will
surprise no one If this Legislature follows
in the footsteps OF it's recent predecessors
and fails to actually accomplish any
thing that is worth accomplishing. am
actually and truly sorry and ashamed.
as North Carolinian, to have to make
such statement. But it is the simple
truth.
The Aycock and the Holt antitrust
bills are to be taken up the latter part of
the present week by the committee and
it is expected that the fight over them
was the contention in the hearing of the
Otlu ltb6C Wcch duu "CCk
previous. Both of the antitrust bills are
very drastic in their provisions and their
authors do not expected them adopted
in their present shape.
A Joint caucus of the members of
the Legislature will be held Thurs
day night of this week for the pur-
pose OF considering the proposition en-
bodied in a bill by Judge Winbourne to
amend the State Constitution and extend
the grandfather clause of the election
law for ten years additional, that is until
1918. Unless some action is taken the
time will expire next year, 1t will be re-
called that the Republican State Conven-
ton last year recommended an extension
and at the time it was credited to the
Blackburn element of the party. Among
the Democratic members of the Legisla-
ture there is a difference of opinion on
the subject. Some favor the proposed
extension for ten years and some for
shorter periods, while others are opposed
to extending it at all. Hence the calling
of the caucus to secure the majority sent
iment on this important matter.
LLEWXAM.