Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-06-02
SALARIES
OF JUDGES
TOO SMALL

The judiciary of the United States
is composed Of eighty-nine District
Judges, twenty-nine Circuit Judges
and nine Judges of the Supreme
Court7-only 127 in all, though our
territory is vast in extent and the
lives, the liberty and the property OF
80, 900, 900 people are at stake.
There has never been time since
the foundation of the Government
when the Federal judiciary was well
paid. There has never been time
when compensation of the judges was
so small a proportion as 1t is now Of
their earning capacity at the bar.
There was never a time when the sal
aries of Federal Judges compared SO
poorly with salaries paid elsewhere.
The District Judges receive $4,000
year. Is not that Q small amount
with which to tempt a really able
man to leave active practice at the
bar? The Circuit Judges Of the
United States receive $1,000 a year.
That is less than is paid to the JUS
tices Of the Supreme Court of this
state who preside over trial terms.
The justices of the highest court in
the land receive only $12,500. The
Justices of the Supreme Court Of
this state who serve IN the metropoli-
tan district, judges with far less
onerous and important duties and
responsibilities whose decisions are
renewable by not less than two tri-
bunals, receive $17,50O year, or
nearly so per cent more. The JUS
tices of the Supreme Court of the
United States actually receive less
than the judges of the criminal
courts in New York City. It is not
absurd to pay less to judges beyond
whom there is no appeal, to judges
who are required to deal with ma
tional questions of the very highest
Importance, than to judges who deal
with questions of petty larceny? In
the city of New York the United
States District Attorney receives
nearly twice the salary of the judges
before whom he appears. Cases are
where references appointed
by the court receive compensation
'ar greater than that of the court it.
self. In England the Lord Chancel-
or receives $4,000 a year; in the
United States the Chief Justice of
he Supreme Court receives $13, 900.
n England the Justices of the Kings
Bench receive $25,000 or exactly
vice the salary paid to the justices
# the corresponding court in this
ountry So far as private practice
-oes there are thousands of lawyers
whose incomes exceed those of the
Justices of our highest court. The
eople do not realize what sacrifices
BILE men are called upon to make at
ines.
A bill Is now pending in Congress
dvancing the salaries of Federal
Judges las follows: Supreme Court,
rom $4,000 to $4,000, with an ad-
itional $500 to the Chief Justlce
ircult Court, from $1,000 to $1O,-
90, and District Court, from $4,000
, $4,000. If these advances be made
he judges will still be underpaid;
ut assuredly the bill should be 5
assed as a partial measure of JUS
ce, and with the hope that further
lcreases win be made a little later.
The people have great respect for
leir courts; they insist upon the
Iaintenance of high standard;
icy want their judges to be able,
onest and industrious. Why, then,
re they unwilling to pay reasonable
'laries? Are they justified in de-
anding good work for poor pay?-
ochester Post Express.