The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-09-02
MORE ABOUT CITY COURT
MR.. SMITH WRITES TO ENLIGHT-
EN- PEOPLE ON THE SUBJECT.
Takes Issue With the Figures of the
Grand Jury Committee and
Captain Kaigler.

Captain Kaigler.
Editor of The News: | wish to
enlighten the people of Terrell coun-
ty, and show Captain Kaigler whose
figures are correct in regard to the
expense of maintaining and running
the city and superior courts of the
county.
Now, Captain, turn to your pam
phlet and let's read therefrom.
In 1905 the superior court was in
session 10 days, and cost $4,000;
in 1906 the superior court was in
session Is days, and cost $4,000; in
1907 the superior court was in SEES
sion "a days, and cost $4,000; in
three years the total number of DAYS
were 40, and the total cost $4,000.
The average cost of the superior
court per day for the last three
years has been $500.
Who got all of this money? Into
whose pockets did it go. The people
paid the taxes to support the SUI
periOr court. 1t went into the treas
ury and was drawn out by some one
Every dollar of it went back into the
pockets of the members of the grand
Jur1es, petit juries and bailiffs and
other citizens for witness fees, etc.
Then, within the last three years,
the entire $4,000 dollars which
makes up the expense of running
the superior court has been paid
back and distributed among the citi-
Zens of the county, and | calculate
that eight hundred citizens have
served on the grand and petit iuries
within the last three years whose
fees for their service were sufficient
to pay their taxes for one year
Now, Captain, turn to the PAM
phlet, and let's look at the city court
expenses. In 1905 the city court
was in session 10 days, and cost
$4,000 for judge and solicitor; in
1906 the city court was in session IA
days, and cost $2,830; in 1907 the
city court was in session Is days,
and cost $2,775; in three years the
total number of days is AZ, and the
total cost $8,490.
Then, Captain, make the calcula-
ton and you observe that the aver
age cost of the city court per day is
$2O2. And these figures are taken
from the report as made by the
grand jury committee, to which you
referred. Now, who is correct, me
or the grand jury committee, in our
calculations?
Now, Captain, since the matter has
been opened up let's go a little fur
h1 Ill IL
goes into the cost of maintaining the
city court? In the past three years
the people have been taxed the sum
of $8,490 to support the institution.
Where does this money go? | have
showed you that the expense for
running the superior court is paid
by taxing the citizens of the county. !
In the last three years the Judge
and solicitOr-general of the city
court have drawn $500, which
went down into their pockets The
citizens, who have paid the taxes
into the treasury, have only drawn
out the pitiful sum of $3.50. Now,
Captain, what are you going to do
about it?
You undertake to show that the
cost for trying a case in the city
court is cheaper than in the superior
court. Captain, don't you know that
a misdemeanor case can be tried as
cheaply in the superior court as it
can be tried in the city court? And
don't you know that the city court
does not try anything but INSIDE
meanors, and such civil matters as
come within it's jurisdiction? And
that in the superior court it frequent
ly requires two to three days to dis
pose of many of the felony and COM
plicated civil matters that come be-
fore it? You undertake to compare
the expenses of trying the INSIDE
meanors of the city court with the
expense of trying the heavy cases of