The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-08
WILL PROBABLY RAISE
JUDGES SALARY
No Opposition Developed at Hearing in
Matter Last Night-Bill Proposes
to Raise It From $4,000
to $4,000

A hearing was given last evening be-
/ fore the committee on state and court
/ expenses on the bin to increase the
/ Judges To $4,000 year, Mr., Watson,
the author Of the bill, spoke in its
favor and il found able support from
state officers lawyers, laymen and
judges. Not one word was heard az
the hearing in opposition 10 the meas
uTe as one drawn to make the salary
someWay near commensurate with tao
work and dignity OF the position.
a prominent figure at the hearing
was Chic Judge J. w Rowell OF Ram
dolph who was invited 10 appear be
lore The committee. he told Of the IN.
creased duties falling upon Judge OF
the supreme court in the past - years
that be- had been on the bench. In the
old days the judges received $1,000 a
year aud paid their own expenses
which amounted away from home TO
about $500 a year Then, Judge
wote an opinion in ease, sent II to
the reporter and the first time the 9th.
or Judge knew anything about ID was
when they reld il in the reports
Now the Judges hold conferences and
am opinion Is truly what il should be-,
au opinion Of the court and the whole
court In 1850 the salaries were raised
10 $4,000 i year with expenses away
from home and have remained so ever
since.
When questioned BY Senator Butler
rs TO the increase Of opinions in the
past twenty years which have to be
cited in making opinions Judge Rowell
said they had increased in large
measure Ne used TO refer 10 the old
common law largely but now the con.
dItious had changed 80 with respect TO
law and litigation with interstate com
neree matters and public service com.
mis-. .on that perhaps be did not refer
10 the Old common law but once a year
md there was d large amount Of read
ing to BE- done
He said that he had never had q day
he could all his own in the time he haa
been ON the bench until the dual sy-
tom WINS iuauguratel two years ago
and since then he had had little time
20 himself He said that he wanted
what was reasonable remuneration for
The services performed By the judges
and that be was willing to leave that
10 the members II the legislature lie
said they we're making no threats that
they were not going 10 resign or any
thing of the kind II was the only pc.
-ition he ever sought The only one he
ever wanted aud BE- liked and would
probably remain for that reason ii the
salary was taken away altogether
He compared The Vermont salaries
with those paid in New Hampshire In
that state the chief Is paid 81 200 and
the other members Of the bench $4,000
That state hal six reports an ten eyars
end Vermont 10 in the same period.
During Che course ct his talk he refer
red To the fact TINT the Judges could
not act as masters in chancery or
rfcrees as they we're once allowed to
40.
Superior Judge G ". Powers Of Nor
risyllle called attention TO the fact that
many lawyers 81 The state received
more than $1,000 and In refutation of
the argument made that there were A.
Why's men for ajl the vacancies he said
that men viii reach their level the same
as waiter ana iNr ~AHiH sNNNi4 pay INV
iudges enough So that the people could
get thc sind they wanted
A letter Wa. read from Judge J n.
Tyler who has inst retired ia which
he stated that be hoped The salaries
would be raised and that he believed
the aaaris wore lever in Vermont than
amy state in the Union He called at
tcntjon to the increased amount Of
work and the iHorea cd expenses for
irving. IN Massachusetts, the superior
Judges were paid So 500 a wear and the
supreme court Judges So 600 more lie
aid not think that Vermont should be
compared with Massachusetts in this
respect but that she sbould do ar well I,
by her Judges rs other states Of her
size.
Fax Commissioner Cushman called I
attention Ia thc fact that the federal /
Judge received $4,000 a year and com /
pared the two positions Mr. Leary Of /
burlington thought the salaries were
low and stated that many /
az the county clerks were getting prob /
ably more Tint the Judges themselves /
especially in the county in which the /
clerk acted ais clerk oic the su
prrme court Speaker Cheney favored .
the bill and others spoke in its favor. (