Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-22
CRITICISM OF
SUPREME COURT
JUDGE DEEMER REsisTs NEPo-
TlsM CHARGE AND DECLARES
1T UNJUST.

Des Moines, April 2O.-Charges that
judges of the Iowa supreme court have
taken advantages of their exalted Of
fetal position to their own personal
profit by keeping relatives on the pay
roll as stenographers, by sleeping in
bedrooms at the state house furnished
at the expense of the state, and by re-
fusing to permit their bills to be aud
tied In the usual manner, yesterday
called forth an indignant denial and
statement Of facts justifying the
record of the court from Judge Horace
E. Deemer.
Vouchers filed in the office of the
auditor of state show that Judges
Laid, Weaver and Evans employed
their children as stenogra piers at SIS
month from January l up till the
end of March,, the last month for
which vouchers have been filed.
In the case of Judge Evans, the en-
ployment Of his son. Don Evans. a
practicing attorney of Des Moines, be-
gan only on Jan. /. but the records
show that Judge Laid and Judge
Weaver have employed Roy and Litta
Ladd and George Weaver respective
ly at $75 month almost continuously
during the past biennial period Roy
and Litta Ladd are paid $75 a month
jointly, both names appearing on the
same voucher each month.
|
the use Of private rooms with beds,
bureaus and common bath room has
been common knowledge at the state
house since the building was occupied.
Criticism has been directed against the
judges because of their practice of
sleeping there only recently, and In
the light Of the fact that they are now
receiving $4,000 a year salary and 5000
year each for stenographer, instead
Of $4,000 salary and no allowance for
clerical help
A further reason urged for the abon
donment of this practice has been the
need Of more rooms in the building for
offices. and especially for the new
board of education, which holds its in
itial meeting today.
CONTINGENT Fund Reduced.
Feeling that the supreme court has
been careless in eXpending the contin
gent fund provided for its use cropped
out when the Thirty-third general as
sembly reduced the amount of the con-
tineent fund from $4,000, the sum APP
propriated by the Thirty second gen
eral assembly, to $1,000 for the ensuing
biennium.
The legislature also inserted a clause
in the omnibus bill requiring as with
al contingent funds the money at the
disposal Of the supreme court could be
paid out only after all vouchers have
been approved and audited by the ex-
ecutive council. This clause in the bill
is said to have been the result of diff
ferences that have occasionally arisen
between the executive council and the
supreme court over bills for furniture
and supplies which the Judges them
selves purchased and paid for from the
contingent fund when the council
thought they should have been pur-
chased by the executive council and
| paid for from the general supply fund.
No issue now exists between the
court and the council, according to A.
II. Davidson, secretary of the council;
secretay Of State Hayward and Judge
Deemer of the supreme court They
all, declared yesterday that to their
knowledge no bill incurred by the
court within recent months has been
turned down by the council.
| Investigation Of the expense to which
the state is put in maintaining sleep
ing quarters for the supreme court
shows that within the past two and
only-half years or since the beginning
Of the biennial period Of 190619OS, the
state has paid $1450 for bed linen.
Last November the court filed a
voucher for this amount, of which
$3.50 was paid for one dozen. sheets
and SIS for two dozen pillow cases.
! Judges pay for the laundering of bed
linen and no additional furniture has
been purchased since the rooms were
fitted up prior to 1884, when the report
of the capitol commission was publish
ed and included items showing the
cost of furnishing these rooms. The
one exception was the placing of a
| porcelain bath tub in the avatory
which serves the entire suite OF
rooms. This was ordered by the cap
| itol Improvement commission. and
according to Judge Deemer, members
or the court had nothing to do with
! its installation
| Towels, soap and lights are furnish
ed by the state. Towels and soap are
supplied to the lavatory of each de-
partment and the only additional ex-
pense incurred by the supreme coutr for
these conveniences is the price of the
soap and lights after business hours.
Too Active in Politics; Man Dies.
Peoria, ILL.,, April 20.-Colonel Isaac