The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-14


 eiSht judges of these three courts is 32 months, or two years and eight months. Each judge of the city and circuit courts is. paid s16s7 annually for the time he is idle. This makes o,122 paid to the judges of these two courts for the time | they are idle.
 "The criminal court is idle about two and half months during the year. The | two judges of that court draw $3362 during tuelr vacations. Add to this the sums paid | to the solicitors and assistants during their vacations and you will get grand total paid annually by the people to judges and solicitors during their vacations the | stupendous amount of S20,146. l This grand total, of course, does not | include small salaries, such as bailiffs c.otks, etc, nor the salaries of judges | and clerks or the Birmingham court of common pleas and the inferior courts of l Ensey and Woodlawn.
 However, the amount expended for sal aries is the smallest part of the cost | How about the hundreds of litigants l awaiting the adjudication of controver- 1 sios? What of the hundreds of prisoners confined in filthy. insanitary jail await ing trial? Think of the thousands of dol lars which accumulate and are sucked in | fees under our prison system conducted l for revenue only!
 | T regard it as an inexcusable crime against the whole social organism that courts should not be open the entire year for the transaction of bus ness.
 If a plaintiff is entitled to damages 1 for an injury, why should not he be per- mitted to recover in the summer as well as in the winter? Why should not plis- oner be given trial during the summer7 | Is 1t just that justice rest? Is it 1alr that one be deprived of his property or liberty merely because the sun is a little hotter or in order to permit a judge to take a vacation? The system is palpably Il prostitution of justice.
 | "On the house calendar you will find l house bills 65, 66 and coz, introduced by l myself. The first two provide a con-
 tinuous term for the city and circuit courts, and the third a continuous term l for the criminal court. The first two passed the house, but by reason of the activities of corporation lawyers were re- considered. The third bill was fought by member of the Jefferson delegation in committee. All three are still on the cal cndar Their nonpassage at tho first ses- sion will cost the people thousands of dol l lars, delay the trials of hundreds of pris- oners who swelter in jail awaiting trial, and materially affect the property rights of hundreds of litigants.
 l 'i recognize the need for physical and 1 mental rest on the part of every human being, including judges; but do not think
 that this need of a few should impede
 
 l Judges, but not courts, are entitled 1 to vacations. A continuous term of a court does not mean that the judges will be deprived of vacations. Some pro- l vision can be. made whereby judges could alternate for their vacations, and either some local judge or judge from another circuit be drafted to substitute for that judge who is taking a vaca- I ton.
 | q know of no law permitting clerks l or mechanics to cease their labors for four and a half months during the year lat full pay. Why should judges and so- licitors be a privileged class? Why should they be getting something for nothing? No sane employer would pay his employees for four and half months rest, so why should not citizen conduct
 his public affairs in the same business like fashion?
 | The chief opposition to the continu- ous session of courts emanates from corporation lawyers. Most of them re- 1 ceive annual retainers, and are not lover-anxious to try cases. Again, a few lawyers will interpose the objection that it is too hot to work in the summer. '' But this excuse is too fiimsy and costly
 to prevail. The discomfort of a few must be subordinated to the comfort of the many.
 Consolidated Court | A short time ago 8 committee of the Birmingham bar submitted a bill to
 the Jefferson delegation, the purpose os which bill is to consolidate the city, circuit, criminal and chancery courts l into one court to be known as the cir
 cult court of Jefferson county This bill
 has been approved by majority of the Jenerson delegation, several of them having had a hand in its drafting, and IL was our intent to introduce it when | the legislature reconvenes. The bill has the Endorsement of virtually the entire par It's enactment into law would inn measurably facilitate and economize the administration of justice in this county
 | am of the opinion that should the courts be consolidated and a continuous keenly the baneful influence of the judges could be dispensed with without impairing the efficiency of the court. There is some opposition to this. as there is always opposition to any meas ure which embraces the abolition of any office
 The enactment of workman's com pensation law would relieve the dockets or many cases and would make more | feasible the dispensing with several ljudgeships.
 For your information. and as a part or tnese suggestions, am attaching w ~ SoPy OA tue consolidated court bill.
 Justices of the Peace NO district of the state has felt more | keeenly the baneful influence Of the justice or the peace system than Jeff ierson county. In the Birmingham dis | trlct several justices of the peace have been usurping their Jurisdiction and nave been used by loan sharks and otner social pirates to wrench money from the poor classes.
 All of the justices of the peace in Greater Birmingham should be abol ished. The Jurisdiction and powers of the Birmingham court of common pleas should be so enlarged as to embrace all or the territory situated within Bir iningham. One of the judges of the court should be required to hold court periodi- cally in the various suburbs, so that the ftigants thereof would not he greatly inconvenienced by the elimina tion of the justice courts Tn 1911 the inferior court of Wood. lawn was created. In 1914 1t cost the county $3098 to maintain this court. the expenditures being as follows: salaries or judge and clerk. .s27O0 Kent of office .................., BOO reiephohe .................... AS f'rinting (estimated) ......... 50 As both the clerk and the Judges are saiaried, the fees being required to be turned into the county treasury. 1t is in- teresting to note how much was paid into the treasury for the year 1914. On Januarv iS' lHi only one payment was made. this