The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-01-08
4 SUPERIOR COURT DEMANDED 81
RANGES
[ LEGISLATURE Should be Asked to Poss
Law Relie> inq tho Coooested
legal Machiaecv aad Give the
RANGES q District JUDGE.

The congested condition of the
legal machinery of St. Louis county,
has become more pronounced dur
ing the past several terms of court
and has caused the attorneys of Du-
luth to act up demand for anoth.
er judge.
Why would it not be more proper
for the demand to be made for q
euperior court for St. Louis county.
with judge thereof to be located
and conduct q pecified terms Of dis
trict court on the iron ranges. from
which section of the county, includ-
ing the numerous personal damage
actions, comes upwards of one-half
the litigation of the county at the
present time?
| Either ouch move or the exten-
sion of the powers and jurisdiction
of the municipal courts OF the
county 80 as to permit OF the trial
of any cause up to an amount not
to exceed 5000, and providing that
the defendant in any suit have the
right to demand trial before local
court instead of being put to the
additional expense of going rs to
100 miles to the county seat7
The latter law would of necessity
compel an amendment of the pre-
| sent law relating to municipal
judgeships and would make it COM
pulsory that eligibility to the posi-
ton would be based upon knowI
edge of law and admission to prac-
tice as an attorney.
Under the existing law regulating
| the working OF "the court on Wheels"
as it is commonly referred to, the
sessions of district court held on
the ranges are naught more nor
less than a farce, it requiring the
consent of both parties to an action
before such cause can be brought
before this tribunal, and it would
seem more to the point both as
matter Of justice to the ranges and
as means of relieving the existing
condition of the district court to
have court established on the
ranges where the local people can
settle their own troubles without
bothering the wheels of justice in
the Duluth mill and at the same
time be permitted. to .save:a fortune
each year in travelling expenses and
high life at the county seat.
Considering the fact that St.Louis
county ie larger than the states of
Rhode Island and Connecticut CON-
bined and that by the addition of
the state Of New Hampshire to the
group but small slice would have
to be carved off one corner of the
latter state to fit the three eastern
states Within our confines, and that
nearly one-half of the total popula-
ton of this vast empire live IS miles
or more. from the county seat, and
in consideration of the further fact
that the iron ranges pay upwards
of eighty per cent of the taxes OF
the county, it would seem but a
matter of justice that the Duluth
attorneys should unite in demand.
ing that the fourth judge for whom
they ask be located on the ranges;
it should also be the duty of the
commercial bodies of the ranges to
ask their representatives in the leg
islatnre to work to this end, giving
ia legal department commensu.
rate, in degree, with our needs. In
such case we doubt not that Duluth
as Duluth could worry along very
comfortably with but three Judges
and find the time hanging heavily
between court terms,many times,
poAaRantf>. RoNnnmnk>enA H.. TIL