The Washington times., 1914-01-11
THE MUNICIPAL COURT.

Washington people have too little understanding
of the institution, now almost FIVE years old, of the
Municipal Court Established just before MIR. Roose-
welt left the Presidency, it was substituted for the
old system of justices of the peace, and has come
to be recognized widely as one of the model 'peo-
pies courts" of the country.
Under the old justice court system a vast business
conducted the fee plan and, as has been true
in too many other cities, the justices held highly prof
liable places. Thus the people least able to afford it
were mede to contribute toward upholstering the po-
tca soft places that were highly priced as political
rewards.
The Municipal Court took over, IN general, the
jurisdiction of the old justice courts, with exclusive
authority in actions involving up to $500. Thus prac
tcay all landlord and tenant and the vast pro-
portion of actions on debt come to this court
The Importance of a good system is excellently
illustrated in the case of the Municipal Court. The
old system was bad. Yet when the new was
created the same men who had been justices were
appointed to the bench of the Municipal Court, and
under them the most excellent conditions have been
attained. These men-there are now FIVE of them
have won the confidence of bar litgants, and the
higher courts Their court sustains ITSELF pays salar
les of judges and minor officials, the rent of
the quarters occupied, and then turns back some
thing like $4,000 year to the revenues of the Dis
trict
This, of course, is just so much more than the
court ought TO produce. There is no proper reason
why judicial establishment should earn profits to
the public treasury. There is every reason on the
other hand why court such as this one should be
conducted just as economically as possibIe-and this
one is so conducted-and its fees adjusted to the
purpose of giving litigants the service they want at
the lowest expense. The scale of fees of the Mu-
nicipal Court might we'll be reduced enough to wipe
out the revenue surplus arising from its activities.
o.. When the court was created in its present form
the scale of fees necessarily less expert
mental. 1t was desirable to place the charges high
enough. Experience has proved that they were
placed higher than they needed to be. In the light
of that experience they ought to be reduced.
The five judges of this court, Messrs. Strider,
Bundy, CalIan Aukam, and Terrell, have performed
in the first five years of its existence, service that
is not as well appreciated by the community as it
should be. They might without much difficulty have
made the new system a doubtful success. Instead
they have given their best efforts and largest ener
gies to making it complete and really notable sue
cess and they have done this for salaries so small
that sordd motives could not possibly be involved.
At time when the terms of four members of this
bench expiring and when the whole community
united in the wish without regard to politics
faction, that they should be reappointed, the sal
aries of these places should be increased. To add
ST 900 to the annual salary of the judges, and then
to reduce the scale of fees so that there would be
no profits" in the establishment, would make the
Municipal Court Deserving to be studied and
copied by almost any American city.