The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-19
NEW JUDGESHIP
 BEING DISCUSSED
Montgomery People Indirectly
 Interested
RELIEVES JUDGE JONES
Republican Leader Is Confident That Oscar L. Hundley of Huntsville Will Be Given Appointment
 By the President.

Montgomery. February 1S.-(Speeal.)- While Montgomery has no direct interest in the new judicial arrangement with re- gard to the United States court for the northern district of Alabama, whereby Birmingham is to be the headquarters of the new judge to be named, there are in- direct possibilities that are attracting at tention enough to bring about talk Mid dle Alabama is interested in that it will leave Judge Thomas c. Jones to look after this section practically all of the time. and in that way make it possible to keep the docket well up.
 It Is also of interest to note that the same discussions that have come up in every other attempt to get this additional help in the state is now rife, that of whether or not the iudgeship will be given to o. R- Hundley of Huntsville. 1t Is sai1 that the fear of his appointment defeated the bill to provide an additional judge for the two districts, a plan agreed upon by the Bar association. It is said by republicans here that MT. Hundley will be the judge of the northern district if the bill now pending is passed by con- gress.
 Asked what made him think so, and if the wish was not father to the thought, a leading member of the referee faction of the party said For the very good reason that the president is friendly to him. Also for the reason that he was told by the president less than two weeks ago that he had something better than the United States attorneyship, to which he was recently appointed. in store for him. And there is this other thing: The senate committee has never voted to re- fuse to confirm his appointment as dis trict attorney. He has assurances from the president that he will be looked after. The president Is not going to appoint Shelby Pleasants to the position because his uncle, Judge Shelby, Is an appointee at his hands and he will hardly make places for the whole family; also he is not going to name democrat, for Judge Shelby and Judge Jones, recent ap- pointees to judicial honors, are of that faith.''
 Relieve Jones.
 The appointment of a judge to hold court in the northern district will be a great relief to Judge Thomas G. Jones,
 
 Besides largely decreasing his work, 1t will make it so that when he is assigned to service in that territory he will have allowance for expenses. As 1t is now he is a judge of that district and has to pay his own way when working in that sec ton, entailing a cost of at least $looo a year lo him. In future this will be saved to him.
 However. Judge Jones stood up In the
 f.f. nhn tional judge plan as he held that there was too much work in the Northern dis trict for one man to look after. It would have meant loss to him to have seen this idea carried out but he said at the meet ing that he would not put his own in- terests in front of those of the state.
 Another feature of the situation has been noted in that the bill to create the new judgeship does not say when he shall become authorized, at his appointment or qualification. It might be to some weeks after his appointment before he can get on the bench In that case 1t does not seem plain who will be the judge of the Northern district. If on his appoint ment Judge Jones could not serve save by special assignment, hence some or the litigation might be hazarded. It might result in as much as sixty days in which there would be no man competent to serve.
 Not Definite.
 This lack of definiteness was noted by Judge Jones, who wired Congressman Clayton about 1t, telling him that 1t might lead to great difficulties fsr 1iti- gants. Otherwise the judge has seemed to be pleased with the proposition. It will reduce his work and fix it so he can go to the Northern district only when he feels so disposed or his docket here is up to the extent that he can leave it safely It will also give the judge time for service on the circuit court Of appeols to which he has several times been in- vited In other words, Judge Jones ex- presses absolute aquiescence in and ap- proval of the plan for new judge, but stood out for the bar association move ment because he thought it better for the entire territory.
 It is heard here that the bill will get through in a few days and that the judge will probably be appointed by the end of the, month As the Senate will be in ses- sion after that time on the San Domingo treaty he will no doubt be confirmed in short time and get to work ere the spring term in April in Birmingham Is called. There are no special movements for any man or men here save that of the referee faction of the republican party in the interest of MT Hundley. One or two have written in the interest of Shel- by Pleasants, while the democrats seem to be willing to say q good word if 1t will be of benefit for E, D. Smith of Bir- mlngham. endorsed by his home bar.