Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-21

eAAS PAopOoSd plIl "Oulu Involve, ana you
get some idea of the total" He believed
also it would be markedly sunfair to leg.
! islate out of Office these trial justice
courts which have admittedly proved very
satisfactory to the people as a whole.
Former Judge Benedict F. Mahor Of
Augusta said that he believed in uni
formity of jurisdiction. But declared
he, the abolition Of all courts would be
too big a major stroke to accomplish 4
minor promise"
He found numerous technical flaws in
the wording of the bill and believed that
the clause providing for appeals to the
supreme court from the decision Of the
municipal judges on matters of fact would
result in SO clogging the supreme court
docket as to render conditions indescrib-
ably confusing.
There's one thing more" said Judge
Maher humorously. II don't see any
mention made Of salaries. You see I've
been a municipal judge myself and"
"Oh, never mind a little thing like
that said Chairman Davies Of the COM
mittee and everybody laughed
Judge F. w. Knowlton Of the Old Town
municipal court said: 'This act not only
abolishes the present municipal courts,
but to all intents and purposes the trial
Justices as well. All trial justice may
do under it's provisions is to issue war
! rents-and he gets no pay for doing that.
He has no longer authority to sit in
judgment.
Now how would this work in my own
county of Penobscot? In Lincoln. for ex-
ample, we have a we'll trained and thor
| oughly competent trial justice In A. w.
Weatherbee. Hundreds Of cases are year
ly brought before him for Lincoln has
large and somewhat excitable foreign
| population. If this proposed court bill
goes through it will be necessary to take
all of these respondents to Old Town OF
Millinocket, each about 80 miles away;
and goodness knows Penobscot county
is already staggering under all the ex-
penses it can meet
At this point Rep. Cole Of the commit
tee generally considered the father OF
the bill. although he took occasion to
exnlain that he hadn't drafted 1t TOOK
issue with Judge Knowltons statement
that trial justices would be robbed OF
all Jurisdiction. Judge Knowlton IN
sisted that careful Interpretation OF
! the act admitted of no other concluslon'
whereupon Mr. Cole replied that he be-
leved it did "Howevre," he SAID mn
ally, ~ did not draft the bill
81 came here to express my views, as
7 was invited to do" said Judge knowl-
ton trfle warmly. Il didn't come "
get into any argument"
1T is not argument-we all wish by
friendly discussion to arrive at the
truth" said Chairman Davies of the
committee. soothingly.
Judge Phil Howard of the Rockland
police court said that no member OF
the Rockland Bar to his knowledge had
read the bill, nobody understood 1T and
everybody was opposed to having 1t
enacted into law. There is an almost
uniform opposition by both attorneys
and business uen.
Coming up in the train the other
day" said he, II talked with one OF
Rockland's most prominent business
men, he is a man universally known and
respected and is former Governor of
I Maine | am not mentioning any names.
but
: Wed all like very much to know
what former Governor Cobb said " said
Chairman Davies. and laughter rippled
over the crowded chamber
Well" said Judge Howard, smiling
in appreciation of the joke, "he told me
he was unalterably opposed to the Dill
on principle
Judge Elliott ~ Benson of the Bar
Harbor municipal court said he hadn't
much to add but was very much "agin
the BILL In Bar Harbor we are pretty
we'll satisfied. especially since automo-
biles were introduced" said he. land
think we are pretty well satisfied with
our courts Municipal courts are and
should be purely local and moulded to
meet local requirements. The pros
posed bill is far reaching, revolutionary
and carried to it's logical conclusion
might some day lead to revolution. II
the charter of any local court needs
tinkering here and there in the inter-
ests of uniformity of jurisdiction let
this work be done by the Legislature,
but don't let US abolish all the courts
in one drastic stroke"
Il may say at this juncture," said
Chairman Davies that there is no mo-
tive behind this bill other than to give
the State of Maine more uniform and
consequently. as its proponents believe,
more effective jurisdiction.
The closing speaker was Judge Ben
iarnn W blanchard of the Bangor nu-
;.icipal court, who was very brief. He
believed that tie bill had no visible
friends or supporters and said humor-
ously that at this juncture "a motion
for a non-suit might be entertained"