The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-25
LAWYER FEES
STUN ENGLAND
POpulace Cries Against High
Cost of judiciary.
Paid Ter Times as Much as
Military Leaders.
CHANCELLOR DRAWS S125, 900
Pensions for Court Officials Are
100000 a Year.
British Army Commanders Re-
ward Mere $4,000 a Year.

London, Jan. 25.-The heavy toll
of the lawyers is the text for many
complaints in these days when econ
omy is being largely practiced by the
rich, and urgently preached to the
poor. Wherever members of the le-
gal profession are employed by the
government in positions involving pro-
fessional practice their financial re-
wards are far beyond the scale OF
those received by other government
officials, however difficult, dangerous
or brilliant may be the service of the
less fortunate branches of official
dom.
The three highest regal officials of
the government, and a considerable
body of judges, draw larger salaries
than the prime minister of Great Brit
ain. The highest officers of the navy
and army, whose duties often involve
physical hardships and the risk OF
death, are poorly paid in comparison
with those who represent the govern
ment in the courts. Today the people
are beginning to ask why this should
be, and members of the democracy in
politics as we'll as laboring men are
asking the question insistently- 1t has
become a burning topic with the
democratic organs of the press. Why
should the lord chancellor, whose
duties are largely ornamental. be paid
more than five times the stipend Ad-
mira1 JeIlicoe receives? is a frequent
query.
Office Costs $125, 900 a Year.
The office of lord chancellor is the
most shining target for attack. That
office is now costing the government
s125,0OO a year. 1t commands sal
airy of $50, 900 and a pension of $25,-
600. Lord Buckmaster is drawing the
salary, and three living predecessors,
Lords Halsbury. Loreburn and Hal
dane. are receiving pensions.
Lord Halsbury held the office for
ten years and has been retired for ten
years. Consequently he has drawn
three quarters of a million dollars for
ten years service. Lord Halsbury is
ninety years old, and although still
vigorous, cannot be expected to con-
tinue long on the pension roll Lord
Loreburn held office for seven years
and has been retired a little more than
three years, so that he has been paid
s475,0O0. He is 50 years old Lord
Haldane was in office two years and
has drawn pension something more
than a year. He is just under sixty
years of age.
Lord Buckmaster has sat on the
woolsack in the house of lords little
more than one year. Current gossip
among politicians has it that he is
keeping the woolsack warm for Mr..
]
succeed thereto when the war has
ended Lord Buckmaster is. fiftyfour
years old therefore may enjoy long
life with an assured income of $4,000
for comparatively brief services.
A Mere Pittance, $4,000 per"
Even more lucrative than the dig
nifty of the lord CHARACTERISTIC are the
posts of attorney general and solicitor
general. These law officers. as they
are called, have been paid salaries of
$4,000 and $4,000 respectively. But
| their duties include practice in the
courts, and for court appearances they
receive fees, so that the salaries have
been regarded as retainers. during
the fiscal year 1914, the attorney
general cost the government about
100000 for salary and fees, and the
solicitor general about $4,000.
The two present law officers, Sir
F. E. Smith and Sir George Cave. have
voluntarily arranged considerable
reduction of their income during the
continuance of the war. The attor-
ney general is to accept $4,000 sal
ary and the solicitor general $4,000,
reduction of $4,000 each.
Sir Frederick Smith is a young man
and he will draw from the govern
ment about $4,000 year, while Sir
George Cave may count upon 100000.
60 of EN- Draw $4,000.
The chief justice of England. now
Lord Reading, is paid $4,000 a year,
and the retired Chief Justice Lord
Alverstone, who died early in Decem-
Der drew a pension of $4,000. The
six judges who constitute the lords of
appeal in ordinary in the house or
| lords and correspond to the American
supreme court more nearly than any
other British judicial body, are sal
aried at $40, 900 a year. The lord chan
| cellor of Ireland and the master OF
the rolls are paid at that rate. The
! lord advocate for Scotland and the at
] torney general for Ireland are on the
pay roll at $4,000. OF judges who
receive $4,000 there is an imposing
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
rolls the six judges of the chancery
division, the fifteen judges of the
kings bench division, the two presi-
dents of the court which by a singular
ombination sits in probate, divorce
and admiralty cases and thirty Scotch
and Irish tudges-altogether sixty ju
dicial officers in the United Kingdom
salaried at $4,000.
There are nearly thirty judicial Of
ficers whose salaries range from $751;
600 to $4,000 and any number of
minor officials at stipends which are
heavy compared with American stand
ards All the clerks, and other i'm
portant court officers. are correspond
/ ingly we'll paid. Every one, from high
est to lowest, is entitled to pension as
| liberal as his salary. The total dis
! bursement in pensions to thirty-six re-
tired judges is 100000 per annum.
Apparently the impression is grow
ing in England that the legal profess
sion is costing the taxpayers more
than it deserves, that it is securing
share of the public revenues alto
gether out of proportion to the num-
Der and services of it's members.
Here's a Few More.
Salaries of other court dignitaries
are: Chief justice. $4,000 and $780,
GOO pension: lords of appeal of house
of lords, $4,000; lord chancellor of
Ireland, $4,000: lord advocate of
Scotland and attorney general for Ire
land. $500 and so other judges who
receive 100000 a year; 80 judicial Of