New-York tribune., 1908-04-16
LIKE COURT PROBE BILL
MAGISTRATE Crane and Others Thinks
Commission Desirable.

,,a.istr,ta Crane came forward last night as
one of the many men familiar with court condl-
tions in New York city who advocate the rage
Francis bill which provides for the appointment
NJ a commission to inquire into the methods OF
procedure lin courts of inferior jurisdiction In
cities of the first class This BILL which has peen
reported back by tho Committee of Finance IN the
Assembly would, If II became A law make II
possible for commission of citizens to investigate
the ma agistrates courts and the Court OF Special
Sessions and report TO the Governor It's recon-
mendations for legislation to improve cohdltlons
Magistrate Crane said last night:
II regard the proposal of Governor Hushes Tor
such a citizens commission > a proper measure
think extremely desirable that the bill become
a law and commission be chosen. Nobody knows
better than the who have sat on the mags-
trates' bench how much the lack of complete and
systematic records of the prisoners brought before
them, the overcrowdng and the failure 10 provide
adequate facilities for carrying out the purposes
of the probation system interfere with the orderly
administration of justice. AS L understand IT, the
proposed commission is to be nOn-potical, COM
posed presumably of lawyers and laymen somewhat
familiar with conditions. and it is to go thoroughly
the whole ground covered by the courts OF
inferior criminal Jurisdiction, examining the sys-
tenn followed in other cities and adopting useful
ideas from these wherever they appear adaptable
to conditions here. If this plan is carried out In
the spirit in which it is proposed by The Governor
great good cannot fail to result
NO comprehensive study Of these courts has
have come down from a time when the city was
much smaller than it IS now and when the prob
lens involved were much less difficult TO deal with
Where there has been legislation 1t has been piece
meal-directed to meeting some one particular diff
hculty. Legislation dealing with important
matter should upon a solid basis OF informa-
tiOn such can be had only from a careful and
disnterested survey of the whole situation
A similar opinion expressed by the Rev. Dr.
John p. Peters. Of ST. Michaels Church and
chairman Of the Committee OF Fourteen, who
termed the bill the most important matter to the
ordinary New Yorker that is now pending In the
Legislature
These courts, which come directly in contact
with the of the people," he said, "are more
important. in one sense. than the Supreme Court
of the United States for IL IS from them that
the impressions of American institutions large
y derived by the foreign born population. As mat
are. the only thing which seems to be GER
tain is that the present system of administration
is the worst possible It is the outgrown relic of
a day of smaller affairs"
DIR. Peters explained that this reflection
the personnel, for he said that the bench with
in his knowledge had never been good at
the present time" Statistics compiled by persons
connected with the Committee of Fourteen ndi-
cate how, for example. the have been in
creasing in the Court of Special Sessions, which
has not been enlarged in twelve years. This has
been specially advantageous to persons charged
with excise violations, who by the necessary delays
often not finally convicted until the year for
which their license has been paid in advance is
nearly ended This them the loss entailed by
forfeiting the license earlier.