Evening journal., 1913-11-28
CITY JUDGE
ASKS INCREASE
Tells Council Salary Of Office
Has Not Been Changed in
80 Years
SAYS DUTY GROWS
WITH POPULATION

Philip @ Churchman, Judge OF the
Municipal Court. sent a communica-
tion to City Council last evening"
asking them to fix his salary at a
sum more commensurate with the
duties, responsibilities and work of
the office. In his letter Judge Church
man furnishes some interesting in
formation concerning the office, the
pay of which is S1.500. Judge
Churchman did not mention any new
salary, leaving the matter to Council.
Judge Churchman's letter follows.
81 beg to call to your attention, the
matter of salary of the city Judge,
and in connection Herewith to the
consideration of the following mat
ters; The Municipal Court and the
office of city judge we're created by
an act of the Legislature in 1883, and
the first session of the court was
held on the second day of June of
that year The salary of the city
judge was fixed in the act at $4,000
per annum, at which figure It has re-
mained for thirty years, notwith-
standing the population of the city
more than trebbled and the receipts
have increased over seven hundred
per cent.
THE population Of the city accord
ing 10 the United States census from
1880 to 1910 was as follows A table
Is given showing among other things
the population by decades as follows:
1880, 42.47S; 1890. 61.431; 1900, 76, sos;
1910, S7,411. Another table shows the
number OF cases before the court the
first year, June 2, 1888, to June l,
1884, 1.242; November 1, 1911. to Oc-
tober 81, 1912. 3195; November 1,
1912, to Octobef 81, 1913; increase,
1883 to 1913, 2O74; increase, 1913,
over 1912, 12l. The receipts from
July 1, 1888, to June 30, 1884. amount
ed to $1,103.26; November 1, 1911, TO
October 81, 1912. $6,S9110; Novem-
Der 1, 1912. to October 81, 1913. $S,-
756.48; increase from 1883 to 1913.
S7,653.22; increase, 1918 over 1912,
$1,S65.3S.
Duty Grows With Population.
"The sessions of the court lasted
from a few minutes to an hour in
I1S83, but gradually increased until
now they consume the entire morning,
as a general rule. II is necessary, for
a proper and careful consideration of
certain cases, to devote much time IN
course, be done while the court is
not in session. Other cases require
opinions of some length, such as,
among others, the recent market
cases, the club liquor cases, the parti-
ton fence cases and the sidewalk
cases. | devote my entire time for
two or three weeks in preparing the
opinions in the market cases and the
to nse a stenographer in the prepsra-
tion of all opinions, whom l must
pay out of private funds. ] am COM
PEELED also to devote a considerable
lportion of my time In seeing persons
who call about matters in connection
with the courts business, so that I
have but little time to devote 10 other
than city business.
THE salaries of other city Off
GERS have been quite properly in
lcreased from time TO time by an act
of the general assembly. because Of
increase of the w.rk. The salaries OF
the mayor and city solicitor. among
others. have been so increased. The
salary of the cit.' solicitor is now
50, 800 per annum, with an allowance
/ of about $500 for a stenographer.
THE salaries of four other city
officers have been increased by or
dinance of the Council under the
power granted to the Council by the
act Of the General Assembly of 1907
(Charter page 6O).
I'm view of the foregoing matters
lit seems to be that it is apparent
that the salary of the city judge is
most inadequate.
Kindly present this communica-
ton to your committee and to the
Council, which body | trust will sec
ht to fix the salary of the city judge
at a sum more commensurate with
the duties, responsibilities, care and
work of the Office"