Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-01-26

i representatives o1 the New 1oFk Da! as ex-Scnator Spooner, oX-Represent-
 atiyc littlcficld and Henry w. Tatt 1 Esq. brother of the President elect. IL appears to us that no reasonable man can deny two propositions re- garding indicial salaries in this 1 country. First. the unjust inequali- ties that exist. That the chief justice of Oregon iS paid 5000 while the chief justice of Maine receives $o,ooo is the clearest indication that no sen sible principle of due compensation has been followed in fixing judicial salaries. Second the inadequacy uf nayment for the service demanded. We rightly ask that our judges shall be men of first class profess sional attainmcnts, of the strictest honor. and Of a practical wisdom ot at least equal, if not superior, to that of the men of business whose af- fairs they are frequently called upon to settle. Judges of the United States courts often must render decisions involving millions of dollars. and this was further illustrated recently .n this county when the judge of the chancery court was called on to set tle n difference between the stock holders of the Bluff City Lumber Company, who themselves testified that the value of the property n- yolyed was more than $2,5O0,000.
 We do not assert that judges should be paid salaries equal in amount to the incomes they could earn by pri- vate practice of law. although there are good grounds for applying this standard of measure to judicial sal aries. But they certainly ought to be paid sufficient salaries to free them from the harassing interference o! petty economies and to enable them to give their sole attention with dig nifty to the demands of their judicial duty. 4ezs
 This is d matter which deserves immediate attention and action of the legislature of this state. As to state judicial salaries Oregon is not the only state in the Union that ought to be ashamed of the sweatshop meth ods 1t pursues in the treatment Of it's judges. Arkansas certainly has noth- ing to boast of in this regard.
 In a recent speech Presiden'-e'ecf Taft uttered some statements along this line that ought to make the law making bodies of the country sit .np and take notice Among other things he said:
 Again there has been manifested in our appellate courts too great disposition 10 reverse cases by error in the trial below. The complaint that the courts are made for the ,.,i> y,n foundation in fact in the attitude oi the courts upon the merits of any controversy which may come before them. for the judges of this country are as free from prejudice in this respect as it is possible to be. But the inevitable effect of the delays ln- ouired in settlement of controver- sies in judicial tribunals is to put at a great disadvantage the poor litigant and to give great advantage to his wealthy opponent.
 "I think step i'll the direction of the dispatch of litigation might be ldheu III IeluiIIl IliS uiSuSA QuuiaAS" tions for the judges that sit in cases involving small pecuniary amount. A poor man should have the benefit of as acute and as able judges as the rich, and the money saved from the smaller salaries to the justices of the peace and the judges of the inferior courts is not an economy in the in- terest of the public.
 Another method of getting rid of a great deal of litigation, litigation that consumes great deal of time. could be effected by a system of set clement of damage suits by all er- ployes against employers through of ticial arbitration and without resort to jury trials. Such system is working we'll in England, as l am ill- formed"