The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-06-23
ADDITIONAL US.
COURT in MONT.
RIDDICK MAKES STRONG ARGU-
MENT FOR STATE BEFORE
HOUSE COMMITTEE

Washington, June 21.-BiIls fol-
the creation of additional fedora.
judgeships in Montana and Arizona
were reported favorably today by the
house judiciary committee.
Washington, June 21.-In his ar
guments before the house committee
on judiciary in favor of establishing
another judgeship in Montana Con-
gresham Riddick urged the holding
of sessions of the federal court at
Havre, Glasgow and a number of
other towns and made a strong plea
for the favorable report of the bill,
which had already passed the senate,
providing for such a judge.
In his talk to the committee the
congressman said:
".On the first day of this session
of congress-, | introduced R. R. 1851,
which provides for an additional
United States district judge for the
state of Montana. There are two
chief reasons why, in my judgment,
this measure should be given favor
able consideration.
Some Sections Neglected
"The people of Montana are en-
titled to adequate and accessible
United States district court facili-
ties, rs are other states of the
union. Under the present conditions
with but n judge, holding of court
in Missoula, Helena, Butte, Great
and Billings, adequate court
facilities are denied in two directions.
First, the calendar is crowded,
and has been so crowded for more
than ten years, last past that there
are long delays that deny justice.
"The condition is rapidly growing
In 1919 with SO criminal
cases on the docket at the beginning
of the year, only half, or so cases
could be reached and terminated dur
ing the year while lat new criminal
cases were filed. In other words, of
criminal cases alone, there were fill
ed during the year and left over from
The year practically five times as
many cases as could be terminated
the year in addition to civil
Not counting bankruptcy pro-
,eedings in 1919, $50 cases were
commenced, 237 were terminated
md at the end of the year there
we're BAT cases that could not be
cached.
"These figures are taken from the
%'fficiaI records Of the u. S. attorney
GENERALS reports.
eff the figures could be brought
to date an even stronger show {
ng would be made because of the {
increased number of cases under the /
ToIstead law in border states like I
f~ontana. I
Size of State Illustrated t
'But there is still another reason '
hat makes the need even more i'm E
erative. Montana is the third larg- !.
st state in the union. From the /:
orthwest corner of the state to the :
outheast corne it is a greater dis :
ance than from the city of Washing :
on to Chicago, or from our national :
.pital to the state of Florida. We :
nink of the New England state of :
Taine, New Hampshire, Massachus- :
It's, Rhode Island, Connecticut and :
lew York as a pretty stable chunk :
f country, and those states have !
inc United States judges to serve :
ne several sections of that territory :
nd yet one could put all of those :
into Montana and have terri :
Dry left larger than the state of
-entucky, which state alone has two :
:
"Justice is denied when people :
lust pay the high cost of travel with :
leir lawyers and witnesses and go :
from home than the distance :
rom the city of Washington across :
re state of Maryland, Pennsylvania :
nd New York before they a reach :
United States district judge, or :
from home than the distance :
cross the whole length of the state :
f Pennsylvania. And yet that is the :
convenience and the unjust situa- :
which the people of the state :
Montana have to contend with" :
MnccMAM 9