Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-02-04
GRACE SCORES
 FEE SYSTEM Says Magistrates and Con stables Make Arrests Just to Get Fees.
lCENSURES METHODS
Unnecessary Expense to Taxpayers Raps Legislators and
 Thanks Jurors.

In commenting on the report of
 the Jefferson county grand jury,
 submitted to him yesterday, Judge A
 B. Grace in the Jefferson circuit court, took occasion to severely criti-
 else the present methods of some of the constables and magistrates in this county for making arrests in cases where prosecutions are not warranted. He also put himself on record as being in favor of the abol- ition of the fee system for these of ficials and prosecuting attorneys as we'll. He ridiculed the action of the Legislature in wrangling and argu-
 ing over petty matters and wasting the peoples money in rendering ser vices that could add more to the glory of the state and the legislators
 themselves
 Judge Grace advocated better system to take place of the present laws governing the magistrates and constables and other officials, now on the fee system. asserting that he had always believed that the fee system is mistaken policy On the part of the government, especially in the line of judicial offiees.' Judge Grace said it was poor policy indeed to ''m !e man $ bread and butter dependent on pnpsecutions' If Nnfortunates, whc do not wish to and in many cases do not violate the law
 Judge Grace's address to the jury was a most interesting one and held the rapt attention of the jurors for thirty minutes. He said in part: Nearly every grand jury has report ed cOnstables and some magistrates delinquent. It is Up to the grand juries to throw few stones at some of these individuals and they will cease laughing, after the grand jury makes report. I have no way to do anything else to remedy the trou- ble except try the cases The more laxity displayed on the part of grand jurors has tendency to encourage these officials to be negligent in their duties. I will not keep you here telling you these things now, but I will see that the next grand jury takes more decisive action in these matters. Take away their fees fin cases where they are derelict in their duty'
 Judge Grace referred to a state ment in the annual report of the in- body in which the county judge was commended for his re- trenchment policy in an effort to get the scrip back at par. He declared that he always, since his first elec- tion to the circuit judgeship, twelve years ago, tried to do everything in his power to reduce the expenses of the circuit court. He cited some in- teresting figures relative to the con- dition of the finances of the three counties in the Eleventh District, showing that his work had been suc- cessful in that direction. CHe spe- cially urged the newspaper reporters not to refer to these matters, how ever, it being evident that Judge Grace did not desire to be put in the light of throwing boquets at himself, every taxpayer in the Dis trict knows fully the truthfulness of his statement.)
 "The circuit court" said Judge Grace. is the most expensive piece of machinery in the District Every officer can help lessen the expenses of this body if he will. I am glad to say that I have the sympathetic cooperation of every official in the District
 Here Judge Grace reviewed statis- tics of crime in this and other coun-