Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-02

The motion which IA before RI.
s.0uss. and subsequently giving the
Dn. passage in concurrence.
MT. bRAGDON: Mr.. Speaker. the
kenuemxn from Portland. Mr..
HoundA. questioned the accuracy OF
2 stAtement made by me, and 1 think
nefore this vote il taken, he viii pre-
Ut 70 stand corrected on this matter.
MT. ROUNDS: Mr.. Speaker.
looking over the budget, will saw
thas ! took the wrong line. ana 1t
wAs IN reference to. clerks that T
tees. - JUS
Mr.. BUZZELL of Belfast: Mr..
speaker, regret at this time to feel
that I must take part in the dis
cussion before this House on this
9uestaon. I wish to say to the gen.
yemen OF this House that I believe
we are getting in wrong, and that
tnere 10 = mistake, and that a mis-
Jake was made at the beginning Of
tnis Legtsiafure; it was made over
the acton OF committee. L be-
heve that the committee were hon
EST In their endeavors to do what
was right, but believe that many
OF the members of this House have
incorrectly construed the action of
tnat committee. I have reference
70 the bill providing for an increase
IN the pay Of Jurors; the com mittee
on legal affairs reported "ought not
70 pass on this measure.
i IN
gentlemen OF this House, that there
are more than one committee Of
lawyers in this Legislature. There
Is a committee on Judiciary, and
there is committee on Legal AZ
fairs. and there are lawyers on other
committees. Do not feel, my friends.
that this is a question OF laymen
against lawyers in this House. The
lawyers in this House want to work
with you, and you should want to
work with them. Now, as have
said. il you have got that feeling.
II is mistaken feeling. That bill
was reported back to the committee
on legal affairs, ana they have been
talked with by other members of
this House, and they, as L under
stand it, and I get it from some of
them, reported this bill in here now
as ought to pass Now this is not
as a lever, my friends, for the pur-
pose Of getting the pay of the JUS
tees increased, however much you
may think so, and however much
you may feel that some have been
inconsistent.
Now, gentlemen, in regard to that
other bill, I feel that the pay of
jurors should be increased at least
$l.OO per day, and that is not suffi-
cient, l firmly believe. 1t was the
feeling of the Legal Affairs commit
tee, because of the fact that this
was a bill that came over from the
last Legislature, and having no one
appear before the committee either
as proponents or opponents, that
they wished to let the matter rest
there, as l understand it, and for
That reason it was reported in that
way, Ought not to pass" 1t should
pass, and 1 for one want to go on
record as saying that this has no
connection with this other bin reia-
tive to the salary of the Justices of
our supreme court. L for one am
willing to let each bill come into this
House and be decided upon it's own
merits.
1t has been said here this morn
ing that we must consider the salar-
les as a whole. Is that fair? L have
presented bills for an increase in the
salaries of about all the officers Of
my county, and some of them have
approached ME and felt that they
have not availed themselves of a
glorious opportunity. Our county
delegation has taken care of that
that is question of county concern,
while on the other hand, the salaries
of the justices is q question of the
whole State and all the citizens of
the State.
Now, what are the facts? Is this
bill going to be decided because of a
feeling which may exist between the
laymen and the lawyers? am sure
do not want to approach. it from
that point of view; / want to. APP
proach it from the point of view of
q lawyer practicing in the courts of
this State, and not because of any
personal feelings or because of any
attitude towards the court for a mo-
ment, but simply because 1 believe
the justices are entitled to an in
crease in their salaries. just the same
as believe that some other men
have asked and are entitled to an in
crease in their salaries; and 1 am
going to vote when the proper time
comes for an increase in their salar-
les, even if am the only man in this
House who votes for the measure.
Now I will say that no one in my
locality has approached me, and
there are no burning fires of indig-
nation in my county against an in
crease in the pay of the justices of
our supreme judicial court. .
Now, what are the facts?
AS it has been said here the three
coordinate branches of government of
this State are the Legislative, the Ex-
ecutive, and the Judicial. We come
first, my friends in the legislative.
and you all know what our part in
this great drama is. The next is the
executive, and we all know what his
part is, and then we come to the
judicial department of the govern
inent. The judges who have assumed
Office, put on the robes of their high