The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
BIGGER THAN THE JUDGES.
Federal Courts amt Boss he Treasury
Department I'm One Matter.

WASHINGTON July 6.-Troubles some
times crop up between Federal Judges
and the Treasury Department. These arise
from the fact that the Federal courts are
mostly housed in Federal buildings which
are in control OF the Treasury Department.
The Judges become accustomed to their
surroundings and sometimes when Con-
gress decides TO rebuild or another Govern
ment tenant wants more room, the Federal
Judge declines to stir on bein & asked to
move.
A Federal Judge in New England went
30 far recently az to inprison for contempt
the custodian Of a Federal building who
had removed some Of the Judges belong
ings from a room in the building. The
Treasury Department promptly notified the
Department of Justice and suggested that
the Judge was evidently not aware Of the
law which gives the Treasury Department
control over the apportionment Of space
among the Governments tenants. a law
intended to meet just such emergencies
as that presented by the arbitrary New
England Judge.
Judge Laoombe Of New York got into q
dispute once with the Treasury. Depart
ment over an order issued to the custodian,
directing the removal OF certain patent
models from a room adjoining the court
room In the Post ONCE Building. He in
sisted that the court had control Of the
building. He pointed out hat the building
was officially designated as -United States
court house and post ofioe,' and inasmuch
as the court house was mentioned first
! the Court. IL he deemed il necessary, could
occupy the whole building to the exclusion
Of the post Office.
II became necessary finally to call Judge
Lacombe's attention to the lease for the
site which provided that IL il should ever
90 used for other than post Office urposes
| the title would resort to the g~rantor. This
erectually squelched the encroachnent Of
judicial authority
The most rscent ease OF the kind has
come to light in Macon, Ga. When the
public building at Macon on the old site.
the Federal tenants were transferred to q
new ofice building . few blocks away
where the Treasury Department rented two
floors. Harry Stillwell Edwards, the u
thor, ia postmaster and ex-oficio custodian.
Having seconded the Nomination OF Presi-
dent Roosevelt at the last national con-
vention he is supposed to IA q drag
equal to that Of John Temple Graves. :
The local Elks lodge had quarters on the
seventh floor OF the building. Mr.. Edwards
engaged the fifth and sixth floors. The
Elks Of Macon stay up late nights and also
play billiards. Fearing that the billiards
might disturb Judge Emory Speer OF the
Federal court, Custodian Edwards thought
fully placed him on the fifth floor.
The Judge did not like this because. ac-
cording to what those who pretend to know
say, he discovered that the sixth floor com
handed a better view of the sunset. There
fore the Judge was shifted to the sixth
floor by the undergraduates custodian.
Soon he complained that the Elks an
noyed him by their billiard playing. and he
asked that they vacate. Now. II appears
that the Elks are highly esteemed tenants
In Macon and they had been favored in their
lease by a condition that no other tenant
should to interfere with them.
When the custodian explained that he
could not remove 200 Elks under such cir
cumstances the Judge complained TO the
Treasury Department. The Treasury Of
fcials confess their impotence.
The situation will soon be relieved when
Judge Speer betakes himself to the noun
tsins for the summer. but IL will be renewed
IN the fall when the oudge returns TO hold
court AMI view the beautiful southern sun
sets from the sixth story window ard the
Elk are again busy at billiards.