Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-12-09

completion. 1t should be pfemiset
i that It is an essential part Of our nav,
establishment to have the coal. oil ant
other ship supplies. drydock and
repair shops scony eniesty located witt
reference to- naval svessets passing
: through the canai Now. II the govern
zments for naval purposes il to- under
take to. furnish these conyenjenees te
1.-The navy. and they. are conv eniences
eouailv required By Commercial YES
sells, there would seem to. be strong
reasons why the government should
take over and include In its manage.
ment the furnishing not only to the
navy, but to the public, drydcck and
repair shop facilities and the sale OF
coal, oil and other ship supplies.
The maintenance Of lock canal OF
this enormous size In a sparseiy popu
lated country and in the tropics. where
the danger from disease Is always
present, requires q large and complete
and well trained organization with
full police powers. exercising the ut
: most care.
I cannot close this reference to the
canal without suggesting as wise
amendment to the interstate commerce
law a provision prohibiting interstate
commerce railroads from owning %
controlling ships engaged in the trade
through the Panama canal. ] believe
such a provision may be needed to
save to the people of the United States
the benefits OF the competition in trade
between the eastern and western sea.
boards which this canal was construct.
ed to secure. ~
Department Of Justice.
AM glad to say that under the ap.
preparations made for. the department
of justice the attorney general has &c
improved its organization that vast
amount of litigation of q civil and
criminal character has been disposed
of during the current year. This will
explain the necessity. for slightly in
creasing the estimates for the ex
penses Of the department. His repor,
shows the recoyeries made on behalf
OF the government OF duties fraudu-
lently withheld, public lands improp,
erly patented. fines and penalties for
trespass. prosecutions and convictions
under the antitrust law and prusecu
lions under interstate commerce law.
/ invite especial attention to the
prosecutions under the federal law OF
the so called bucket shops" and OF
those schemes to defraud in which the
use Of the mail is an essential part
Of the fraudulent conspiracy prosecu,
'tions which have saved ignorant and
weak members of the public and are
saving them millions Of dollars.
The violations of the antitrust law
present perhaps the most important
litigation before the department. and
the number Of cases fled shovs the
= - -------..--- ~ ------7~
activity Of the government in enforc-
ing shat statute.
judicial Proeedurs.
One great crying need in the United
States Is cheapening the cost Of iitiga-
ton by simplifying judicial procedure
and expediting final Judgment Under
present conditions the poor. man Is at
= woeful disadvantage In legal con-
isst. with a rc,la;:a ton or "A rich Op-
upent. i'h,, ne, :....itEF for the reform
exists both in Cnit,a States courts
and in all state courts, In order to
bring 1t about. however. it naturally
falls to the general government by its
example to furnish a model to all
states. A legislative commission ap-
pointed by Joint resolution Of congress
to revise the procedure in the United
States courts has as yet made no re-
port. -
| am strongly convinced that the
best method of improving judicial pro
cedure Mt law is to empower the SUI
preme court to do it through the me-
dunn of the rules of the court, as in
equity. This is the way in which II
has been done In England.
Relief Of Supreme Court From In
= necessary Appsais.
No man ought to have as matter Of
right a review Of his case BY the su-
preme court. He should be satisfied
by one hearing before court Of first
Instance and one. review by a court Of
appeals. The proper and chief useful
ness Of the supreme court. and espe
cially the supreme court 0f the United
States, is in the cases which come be
fore It so to expound the law and espe
cially the fundamental law-the con
stftutfon-as to furnish presidents for
the inferior courts in future litigation
and for the executive officers In the
construction OF statutes and the per
Torrance Of their legal duties. There
fore any provisions for review Of cases
by the supreme co1rt that cast upon
that court the duty Of passing on ques
tons of evidence and the construction
OF particular forms OF instruments. like
cisions not Of general application or
importance. merely clog and burden
the court and render more difficult it's
higher function. which makes 1t SO I'M
portant part Of the framework Of
our government. The supreme court is
now carrying an unnecessary burden
Of appeals Of this kind. and earnestly
urge that it he removed
Judicial Salaries.
I further recommend to congress the
passage of the bill now pending for
the increase in the salaries Of the fed
eral judges. by which the chief justice
Of the supreme court shall receive ST..
500 and the associate justices $1,000
the circuit judges constituting the cir
cult court of appeals shall receive $40.
900 and the district judges 5000, The
positions they occupy ought TO be filed
by men who have shown the greatest
ability in their professional work at
the bar. and it is the poorest economy
possible for the government to pay
salaries so low for judicial service as
not to be able to command the best
talent Of the legat profession in every
ma RI 0T rho 1Oxlnyrv