The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-09-01
Spoke Before the American
Bar Association on This
International Question
fAv0RS HIGHER Salaries
FOR JUDGEs0F FEDERAL COURTS
Nation Ought to Pay Enough So That
Judges Would Not Have to Lecture
In Law Schools to Exc Out Q
Living.

Boston, Sept. 1.-"Arbitration of
disputes between nations is coming
slowly, but surely coming" said
President Taft in his address before
the American Bar association, which
concluded its Thirty-fourth annual
convention in this city last night.
The president briefly reviewed the
proposed general arbitration treaties
with Great Britain and France. and
made 1t plain that in his opinion the
objections made to the treaties were
invalid.
President Taft declared emphati-
cally that there is room for improve
ment In the federal courts, land upon
U.S." he said. falls the burden Of ini-
tating the reform in that respect"
The chief justice Of the United States
supreme court" he said, has taken
that matter in hand, with his associ-
ates and the district judges, and has
called conference in Washington,
where they will formulate new rules
OF procedure" The president declar-
ed this to be great step in the di-
rection Of practical reform. He said
that there was no need Of increasing
Judicial salaries so that the best
men OF the bar" might be secured for
the various courts.
NO formal introduction was spok-
en-. President Edgar H. Farrar Of
the bar association. one of the largest
men at the convention, merely ex-
pressed his purpose to retire in favor
OF man who was bigger than he in
all dimensions.
The president aimed his argument
for the arbitration treaties at the sen
ate foreign relation committee which
ne said took exceptions to the part
which provides that the joint high
commission determine whether q
question is "justicable" and therefore
one to be settled by arbitration. The
committee held this part of the
treaty delegation Of powers by the
senate, the president said, and there
fore 1t objected.
There were not" he said. "any
more power conferred by the consti-
tuition upon the senate than there
were conferred by the constitution
upon the executive.
Il think this is pretty plain, be-
cause the executive has to initiate
and the senate has to agree to the
treaties before they can go into for,e.
Now my proposition is this. that
II the senate has power to ratify an
agreement which shall bind 1t and
the government, or rather which
shall bind the government and there
fore bind 1t, to consent to the adjudi-
cation OF any class Of questions aris-
Ing In the future by board of arbi-
tratton than 1t necessarily follows
that It has the right to consent to
this treaty"
Referring to his hope that the SEN
ate would not modify the treaties. the
president compared the nation to q
sick Indian.
"You know they say the Indians.
when they are sick, don't like any
medicine except something that bites,
something that is bad to take," said
the president
II don't think We shall really get
ahead with this arbitration business
unless we are willing to assume an
obligation to execute judgment that
may bite and may be bad for US to
take. II we are going to take the
position that we will wait until the
question arises and then conclude
because we don't think we can win
in the arbitration case-that 1t is not
a justicable question, then we have
written our promises in water, and
we have made agreements that dis
solve under the test of experience
THE result will follow. which may
be anticipated. that instead of pro-
noting the cause Of arbitration, We
and made it laughing stock with all
nations"
Before turning to arbitration the
president spoke Of the efforts that
the supreme court is making to re-
form the rules Of equity procedure
in the federal courts, and declared
that the salaries Of federal judges
should be increased. He also devoted
few paragraphs to a discussion of
the intricate question of patent law,
and offered heartfelt prayer of
thanks to the first interpretaters of
the constitution.
Judges Salaries.
! Speaking of the salaries of the fed
eral judges, the president said that
those of circuit Judges should be in
creased so as to be more commen-
surate with those paid district
judges.
"Of course" he said. "the salaries
of the supreme court members ought