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

CONTINUES srem Pe0e es0ht)
,,.y,es of the jusfices a. enNeuprsne
'.u,t 10 tina key.stene % De arcA,
VA Il you let that ksy-sesae Aswn,
o.. arch falls, and wh1gu VIA your
u.,.ries 10 when you AAqw 0r p6snit
10, to be done? Slttihk here day AZ
.ar day, We hAys hoard the clarlae for
,.creased salaries, anA I ask PEA IN
II fairness. how are You going TO act
- regard to their requests. what are
rou going to sAy to tAsm! Thav have
>. much right, and there 81 - much
i,st;ce in their claims for tncreaSoe
=. these particular gentismeh have.
Tnev are not provided with pensions,
liter a certain length Of time. and
thew never will be. I do not know
how It may be With other msn, Int I
r,sh that I might myself be assured
that ! would have . pension when I
WAS incapacitated for work, but I
have no such assurance. and have
nm assurance of what my ability will
be in future years to earn q iiveli-
hood; and il we. coming here as we
have. pledged to the people that we
would practice economy, ask you II
We are practicing economy? It has
been said here that We have to 20
out and seek for these men to MI po-
sitions on the bench, but I will sub
NIT to you, gentlemen Of the House,
if you think that you have to do
much seeking! / think there are as
many aspirants as necessary for the
postion from time to time when
there is vacancy occurring.
Now, the sum total of the matter is
this What are you going to do with
the salaries of these men who are
clamoring for more salary, outside of
the Justices of the supreme judicial
court. when they come here? You
have opened up the doors, and the
bars are down, and they are going to
come through, and if You are pledged
10 economy. and if you want in 1922
10 have lot of nice propaganda you
have got to go around and mince and
soft pedal and tip-toe around and
tell your people that you did this,
that and the other, it is UP to YOU to
do it, but I will tell the truth. Can
pause'
Mr.. MCRCHJE of Calais: Mfr.
Speaker, before his argument closes,
If seems to me that it would not be
improper for something to be said
10 the House about the reasons why
In, f<@e,
has reported this bill in its present
form. | am sorry the gentleman
from Newport fMr. Croxford is 60
ing out OF the House, but I will say
that if he had such an urgent de-
mand from his constituency not to
permit Inc increase in salary referred
10 in this bill, that he was very care
mi not 10 come before the committee
on salaries and fees and state that
fact. This bill, like any other bill,
was introduced into the Legislature
and followed its normal course It
was referred to committee, by that
committee advertised and a full hear
ing held and | want to say to this
House that before that committee no
man, woman or child from the State
Of Maine appeared in opposition to
the bill, not TO oppose any increase,
but not even to oppose the salary of
5000 Ia the justices of this court.
The committee cut the salary from
$4,000 down to $500 and they made
that cut not because they understood
there was any widespread feeling in
the State Of Maine against an 5000
salary, but because it seemed to them
that $500 was a proper salary for the
State of Maine to pay for that posi-
ton.
We had before us in considering the
measure a report showing the sala-
res of justices of courts all over TINS
country. and showing the cost OF
courts in the several states OF this
Union. and in order that the gentle
men of this House may be fully in
formed want to read few figures
from these reports in order that they
may understand the situation in otn-
er states before voting upon this
l0dUler. Inc SIdlc VI VAdthS S>%@ANN
forty-irst in the total cost of the
administration of justices in courts.
The only states where the court cost
was less than the Maine courts were
New Hampshire, North Dakota.
South Dakota, Delaware, Wyoming
Arizona and Nevada, every one OF
smaller population and with the ex-
ception of the two Dakotas, states OF
very noticeably smaller population
than that of Maine.
OF these seven states, three now
pay larger salary than is paid to
the supreme court justices of the
State Of Maine. and in one OF those
states Wyoming. a bill is pending for
an increase to $500. Three states IN
the Union, smaller in size than the
State of Maine, namely, Rhode Is
land Montana and New Mexico, with
court cost very much greater than
mat of Maine, pay a salary OF $sOoo
Staoo and $4,000 respectively.
1t seemed to the committee, and it
sui seems TO me. and think to the
other members of the committee that
me people of the State of Maine, were
not so penurious that they would
want economy carried to a point
where the State of Maine should pay
her Justices any great amount less
man is paid in states of similar size
and similar conditions. do not think
me gentleman from Perham {Mr