Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-01-26
Jurists Draw More Pay
Than Generals on Battle Fields
British People Beginning Chae Easy Berths OF
men Who Only Fight Parliamentary Battles

board of trade inquiry INTO inc ~
tanic disaster.
The two present. law officers. Sir
F. e. Smith and Sir George cave
have voluntarily arranged consider
able reduction Of their incomes dur
ing the continuance Of the war. The
attorney general is to accept $3O,OOO
salary and the solicitor general, S2o,-
900, reduction of $1,000 each.ss The
scale of fees has been lowered so that
each will suffer loss of 100000 from
the estimated takings of their offices,
and the treasury will gain these
amounts Neither one will be ex-
tremely underpaid, judged by the rev.
enues of American officials holding
similar positions, with which compar-
isons have been made by English
writer's. Sir Frederick Smith is a
young man and he will draw from
the government about $4,000 a year.
while Sir George Cave may count
upon 100000 In addition they will
be rewarded by the prestige and help
to their future private practices.
which a term of holding high legal
office is, supposed to insure.
G4a Gets $4,000. r,
The chief justice of England, now
Lord Reading, is paid $4,000 year,
and the retired chief justice, Lord Al
IYerstone, who died early in Decem'
der, drew pension of $4,000. The
|, six judges who constitute the lords
of appeal in ordinary in the house of
lordss and correspond to the Ameri-
cam supreme court more nearly than
any other British judicial body, arc
salaried at 100000 a year. The lord
chancellor Of Ireland and the master
of the rolls are paid at that rate. The
lord advocate for Scotland and the
attorney general for Ireland are on
the payroll at $4,000. of judges
who receive $4,000 there is an I'M
posing array They include the chief
justices of Scotland and Ireland. In
England the five associate justices Of
the court of appeals, who sit with
the master Of the rolls, tho six judges
of the chancery division, the 10
judges of the kings bench division.
the two presidents Of the court, which
! by singular combination sits in pro-
bate, divorce and admiralty cases.
and 80 Scotch and Irish judges; alto
gether 60 judicial officers in the Unit
ed Kingdom salaried at $25 900.
| There are nearly 80 judicial Off.
! GERS whose salaries range from $lo.-
900 to $4,000 and any number Of mi.
nor officials at stipends which are
heavy compared with American
standards. All the clerks and other
| important court officers are
CORRESPONDENCE well paid. Every
one, from highest to lowest, is emit.
tied to pension. as liberal as his sal
airy. The total disbursement in pen
sons to 36 retired judges is 100000
per annum.
Costing TOO Much.
Apparently the impression is grow
ing in England that the legal profess
sion is costing the tax payers more
than it deserves, that it is securing
a share Of the public revenues alto
gether out Of proportion to the num-
Der and services of it's members. The
roll of lawyers in Great Britain is
far smaller than in the United States
and there are far more handsome
plums to be distributed. Admiral
IJellicoes services are bringing him
IA financial reward of less than $40
600 year, and Sir John French. field
marshal, commanding the British, ar
my in France, was on the pay sheet
at $500.
In the old time public life of Great
Britain there was a reason in theory
for payments to the legal members
of the cabinet and officers Of the
crown higher than given their col
leagues in Other fields of work. Most
statesmen eame from the old fami-
lies, the traditional ruling caste. They
were supposedsto be men of heredi
ItarY, wealth, whos were, willing to give
theirf service forlthe public welfare,
while the legal officials were profess
sional men who must sacrifice their
private practice when holding office.
FIN the later day of democracy. par.
Ifticularly with the libeFal party, whose
Headers include large number of
lawyers, the old tradition does not
apply. The prime minister, the home
secretary, the minister of munitions.
the chancellor of the exchequer, and
several lesser members of the gov
eminent are lawyers, yet draw far
smaller incomes than their colleagues
performing no more important legal
duties.
From another point of view the fiji
ancial burden Of the law falls less
heavily upon the country as usual
War conditions have brought great
decrease of business for the courts.
THE lawyers are starving" walled
la barrister to an editor. discussing
a libel suit. THANK Cod" was the
brutal reply.