The Sentinel=record., 1914-04-19
WOULD KNOCK OUT
 JUSTICE SYSTEM
HOT SPRINGS MEMBERS OF THE STATE BAR WILL SUPPORT
 THE MOVEMENT.
Provides For One Municipal Court For Cities That Will Be Qualified To Care For All the Work.


 the announcement from Little Rock that a committee of lawyers from the Capital City would propose to the State Bar Association at it's conven. ton in May legislative bill knock ing out the justice of the peace sys. tenn, and installing in it's stead g municipal court of extended author. ity.
 Members of the Hot Springs Bar Association who will attend the state convention will give the measur. their support in the state convention. and will stand behind a campaign for such legislation from the next gen. eral assembly. The bill as originally drafted may apply only to Little Rock, but it's scope will most likely be extended to serve cities of 10000 or more inhabitants.
 The bill was written by commit tee consisting of John M. Moore. chairman; J. w. House, Geo. B. Rose, w. J. Terry, Morris M. Cohn. c. T. Coffman and Robert L. Rogers, prose. cutting attorney. Copies of the propos- ed bill are being distributed among the Little Rock attorneys.
 The bill provides that all cities having a population of 45,OOO or more. and all cities of the first class in an adjoining city, shall be subject to the provisions of the act.
 That in each of the cities subject to the act there shall be a corpora ton court, termed a municipal court, to take the place of police courts, is provided; further, that the police court shall be abolished. The police judge in office when the police court is abolished shall take the judgeship of the municipal court. One judge shall preside in the smaller cities, and he shall serve for four years.
 In the larger cities there shall be two judges, and the court divided into two divisions, known as the First and Second Divisions, and the judges for each elected separately.
 The qualifications for the judges, as provided in the proposed bill, fol. low: That he shall be at least 25 years of age, of good, moral charac- ter, learned in the bar, two years resident of the State, and shall have practised law four years and been ad- mitted to practice before the Su- preme Court of Arkansas two years. He shall not engage in the practice of law during his term Of office, and shah receive as compensation for his service the sum of $2,400 a year.
 The like fees and costs shall be taxed and allowed in civil and crimi- nal suits, prosecutions and proceed ings in the municipal courts as are provided for by the general laws in similar cases before justices of the peace, excluding those items that would be allowed justices of the peace when sitting as examining courts; provided, that nothing in this section or act shall be construed as author izing the collection by the clerks of the municipal court or any constable of any costs or fees whatever from the county. Appeals from the court would go to the Circuit Court.
 The city clerk under the bill, would be the clerk of the court, and the City Council could authorize him to appoint a deputy, the deputy's sti' pend to be not more thaa sl2OO year.
 The clerk would have to keep mi. mute reports of the court, including amounts of fines. penalties, forfeit ures, fees and costs collected and make a monthly report to the mayor and the clerk of the county court.
 Tn regard to justices of the peace' the bill provides as follows:
 Justices of the peace in townships subject to this act shall have original Jurisdiction co-extensive with the county. The jurisdiction shall be con current with the municipal courts and exclusive of the Circuit Court in all matters of contract where the amount in controversy does not exceed $lOo' excluding interest; in suits for the recovery of personal property Where the value does not exceed the value UT nouu, anu III all HldttoAo VI o to personal property where Une amount does not exceed $lOO.
 "A justice of the peace in town ships subject to this act shall receive as a compensation. s25 year. Tn equal quarterly installments, payaoie by the county, in addition to the com pensation provided for by secuoh 15OS of Kirby's Digest and such feeS as are allowed to justices of the peace for solemnizing marriages, taking anu certifying acknowledgment of lnstru ments, attending to the duties ol coroner, and for services in relauol to estrays.
 Tn any civil case brought before justice of the peace in a to~hshi subject to this act, the deiehoah could take change of venue to th' municipal court without the prepay ment of any fees.
 Any justice of the peace in to"i ships subject to this act, or muhiclp' judge, who makes use, directly or II directly, of the processes of his cour' pithar oo u ...k,- 1stfoa-f ar in l0tef