New-York tribune., 1909-11-20

Justice Scott said he Ind taken the
subject up with the Mayor about ten
days ago. lie dld not see the Mayor. he
said. or write 20 him. but friend had
gone to he Mayor and talked the sub
iect over with him.
Il saw Controller Metz yesterday" IA
continued. "ana talked ;he matter over
with him The Controller said Ia
thought u was a fair and rsasOnabIs
proposition. BIt ala not think II would
come before the Board Of Estirnate this
week I thought It would not bs untH
next week"
ISSUES STATEMENT.
The Justice gave out the following
statement.
The proposition o. increase the addi-
ti0nal compensation paid 20 tae Su.
pTerle court justices In this dfstr'c- does
rot involve any larger payment by the
CITY than has been paid FOR the last
twenty-five years 9r more. owing % the
wording OF the constitutional amend
ment bust adopted q & aecessary 20
Eorninaly Increase the citys contTibu-
ticn 90 these salaries in order that the
justices may share With their colleagues
In other PARTS Of the state the increased
tional amendment
on January I. when the amendments
goes into effect. TN, ciry's cOntri button
To the justices salaries viii autOrnati-
Caly drop back % the same figure {,
has been az for 50 many years. and
they viii receive rom the state the
uniform salary provided for all Supranls
Court Justices Thus the state VIII pay
no more than the amendment provides
for, and tina city viii pay no more than
u Is now paying
After this statement had been read
over the Justice was tod that Il had
been the general opinion that the con-
StitutiOnal amendment would mean a
saving 20 .hs city % sI72.0O0 a year
through the decrease n the amount Tho
city would have 20 ray the justices.
Il never go understood IT. he said,
and never heard before that any one
else understood Il that way The state
and local authorities have been adding
70 the Justices pay for several years BY
allowances Tor expenses and 0the- things.
The idea vas that all these allowances
would be cut of and the pay made uni
form at s10.OO0 year
FEARED AMENDMENT
But il has always beer agreed .hat
the pay for he Justices in the lst and
I'd departments should be more. on ac-
count Of the greater cost Of living and
other things. so tha Iaw provided for an
additional local compensation in those
districts. but il this action had not
been taken by the Board Of Estirnata
the wording of the amendment vas such
that the Justices IN tho Ist District would
not have got the benefit OF the Increase.
1t is generally recognized that he
justices do not get pay enough. Va
have lost two recently because thew
could make more IN outside practice.
Justices O'Brien and Lsvant-itt both an
nounced when they resi- igaed that tb-v
Icfr the bench because they could make
more money IN private practice
How much do the members OF the
Supreme Court of the United States gst.
Judge
Il think :hs associate Justices zet
$4,000 a year and the chief Justice s5o0
more But they get their salaries for
life"
Why was the action taken at this
time? the justice was asked.
IL Rad 10 be taken before January
l." he replied. "Or IL eouiG not have
been done at all This IS the first time
In history that the constitution has axed
the salaries Of the judges. IL has always
been left before to the Legislature. But
this amendment provides that whatever
the salary Is or January 1 It shall re-
main. and il can only be changed after
that bY another constitutional amend
ment."
CAN'T RESTORE OLD FIGURE.
Can the new Board Of Estimate re-
duce again to the old figure the amount
paid By the city IL IL wants top
No. the new board VIII have nothing
to say about IT, The salary IS fixed now
by the constitution"
Can taxpayers suit be brought with
any hope of success to have the pay p,It
back 10 the old hgure?"
II don't think 50. OF course. a suit
can be brought. but il / had Thought
there was anything legally wrong about
the increase would not have taken the
step / did
Justice ScOtt said he not know
what had been done about the salaries
OF the Justices In the II Department.
He added that he had not talked over the
action Of the Board OF Estimate With
any Of the other Justices. but ne would
be much surprised IL they were not
pleased
AS an indication Of ths WiGespread i'm
preston which before election the Judges
did NOT contradict, thai the constitu-
uonal amendment would increase tke
aggregate salaries OF only the upstate
Justices. and that Il provided that the
Justices in this city should not receive
an aggregate compensation" Iarger
than that ROW received. the following
extracts printed before election in ret-
erence 20 II are republished:
From The Times:
This amends Article vi. Section 70 OF
tae constitution by inserting this pro-
Each Justice of the Supreme Court
shall receive from the state the sum OF
$lOOtp per year."
IL further provides that the Justices OF
the lSt and ID departments shall receive
what they now receive.
From The World:
AYnsndvuenr 4