Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-03-12
FRIDAY. MARCH II, 1909.
Our M unicipal Court Again.

further ON the sauJect'
"This paper has no special kno"i'
edge of the situation in Brighton
which made advisable the establish
ment of municipal court. consisting
of one chief Judge and two assistant |
Judges. for town of about 2O0O popa' |
lation and the hackwoods surround
ing it. We assume that there were
some plausible reasons Tor 1t, OF the
Legislature would not have voted II.
However. we do not recall any instance
in the past where miscarriage OF justice
has resulted in that locality through the
absence of such court, and, to be
frank, we have no idea that 1t was Alb
solutely necessary.
1.-The chief judge of this ponderous
court draws only $500 salary, but 1t
means a ME little addition to his
stipend as judge of probate and alto
gether provides for him very comtorta-
bly,. We note that he draws also 800
a year as Office rent for this municipal
court. Wen take the chance Of gam
bling a cookie that he doesn't pay out
an extra dollar as rent on account ot
this court, aud that it means just An
other 800 added to his salary. II not
it's an exceptional case.
"The Herald urges that there will
be All actual saving to the state in e1-
pense. This has familiar sound. 1t
was the plea put up two years ago
when the courts were reorgani2sd and
the referee system abolished. 1t ia the
argument always heard when there ia h
shift from the fee to the salary basis.
But somehow it never eveutustes.
Court expenses keep increasing, year by
year, and anyone who cares to may
trace the cause. The money goes very
largely into the pockets OF court officials.
Let no one he deceived because this
Brighton court involves only yearly
outlay of 500, Like other good things
it will grow in time. They always start
in moderately, but session by session
the Legislators are told in piteous &C
cents how the poor judges are fairly
shaving their lives out for a neager
pittance, and it is cruel for generous
state to so uiggardly reward their oner
Gus services. Statistics are produced
backing up the assertions. Nobody
appears to dispute and up goes the sal
airy, also the office rental (the-wear-ane
tear on the desks, cushions and floor
being simply ruinous). Very soon W,
shall have the allowances for clerk hire
stenographers, etc, and maybe a bill
for robiag the justices iu becoming
gowns
"This is not imaginative, by an,
means, and it the contemporary a
the north wishes to investigate furthe
let it look up the situation at Brattle
horo, Springfield and other place
where these courts nave lately beel
established"
1t is especial knowledge" that
newspaper should have before indulgin
in such sweeping criticism aud denul
Rrnf a Sol.
may be the centers of graft in tn
shape of municipal courts. We kno,
nothing about those courts, nor do W
care to investigate them, as the cou
temporary implies. But we insist tina
any general arragnment of municips
courts includes our court, and it is ths
arraignmentthat so far as it affects III
we are answering.
Passing over the tone of sneerin
inuendo, that permeates the quote
editorial, let US discuss facts. As
the 500 for courtroom rent, Mr.. Ed
tor, make your bet something wort
while and Ne will cover it. As ma
ter of fact our municipal court is qua
tered elsewhere than in the Judge
office, and the landlord, who has i
these quarters for court room, is 10 .
way connected with the court.
The remainder of the quoted editor
ial is pure generalization, and sublimel
ignores the specific instance cited BY ,
whereby this court, had its charter bee
granted as desired by its promoter
would have saved the state about OF
hundred dollars Since we publishe
our first reply to the contemporary
editorial, two more instances have @
cured of like sort. Two young me
we're arrested for grand larceny, an
upon being arraigued before this cous
pleaded guilty. Had the charter tee
granted as requested, these responder
would have gone to the state prison
once. Now they are living on Il
state at the county Jail and there the
will remain till late il April or som
time in May The cost of keepin
these three respondents---all of who,
we're ready to begin serving their vel
tences---wil amount to about as muc
as the judges annual salary. Is the,
anything imaginative about this?