Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-25


feel sure nothing + could cay
laa "a add to the force az the axgu-
wi. but as chairman 81 the comH4t-
os' that reported this bill wish to
~ iust few remarks at this time
.on the subject.
ar Sna committee has certainly had an
~ defense If their action In any
vas wrong. want to say that we
-. this matter very thorough con-
ss..,.tion, and that we did not IN an
..rcing our decision upon this mat
y. intend to commit that committee.
"a in any way aid in committing
vic legislature to a policy or ex-
.1asant increase in salaries.
We considered this matter as one
at would be taken up apart. q was
..,eested by the distinguished senator
nm Kennebec. The Judges. when they
,.ceut position upon the supreme
y,ch, are isolated. they have to gov-
,r their actions somewhat differently
,,om the ordinary man. they have to
.,nain impartial. But aside and be-
,oud all that / am going to say to you
,.ntlemen here, who are not perhaps
l,miliar with the amount Of work
hat our supreme court has. to do, that
bore are no harder worked men today
|, the State of Maine, than our SUI
irene court justices.
We considered the salaries paid TO
neil who are doing similar work in
0tber states,s and I for one felt that
4 would be discredft- to the State of
Maine TO continue to pay tho judges
a our supreme court a less salary
than is raid in other states, where the
york is similar.
In addition to that We considered
,be fact that this is a large state. and
here are certain things. which our
justices are compelled TO do which are
not done in other states, and which
makes their work great deal harder.
hope, senator's, that the amend
ment will rot be adopted.
Mr. MORRILL, of Cumberland: Mr..
President, if'eser~I felt my insignifi-
cance and lack of education to ex-
press 10 you my views on this SUBJ
Jet, it is now after listening to the
eoquence of the gentlemen who have
preceded me. who are qualified to pre-
sent this matter to You in the most
toquent language. and I have en-
oyed their eloquence. BIT I cannot
endorse their sentiment at this time,
know that it is serious thing to
SET aside the decision of q committee.
hut at the same time here is one sub
Jet that we have to consider. But
before ! proceed to consider that I
would say this: ] have nothing, no
Tudge against any member of the
bench. They are, most all of them,
PERSONAL friends of mine. have
been connected with them in business
ways and they are honorable gentle
men and | wish that the conditions
of this State were such that we could
give them 4 raise in salary, and give
cher officers rs they come along a
raise in salary perhaps that they
might be entitled to. But we have al
ready gone over this subject, the con-
ditions that exist in this State at the
PRESENT time. There is no industry
! in the State that / know Of that is
fOurishing; no wholesale manufactu-
nr that can increase the wages OF
his employees There is no retail ira
der i'll the country that is making
any profits at the present time. Do
not forget the fact that we are all
agreed on these subjects. AS l am I'M
educated il takes me longer to tell
| YOU what think about this subject
Now am going to say that I am in
favor OF this amendment. I wish that
We were able to pay the whole salary
called for in the bill. We will call it
that they live on fixed income, the
Judges live on q fixed income. and
when prices rise they have to pay
the rise when they fall of course they
are entitled with the rest of the citi-
2ens to the fall. Now we have lots
Of citizens who have passed their
earning days, who have been making
a big hole in their income, as well as
Judges, and if that income has not
been sufficient to carry them out to
1.-The end of life they have no half sal
ary on which to fall back. OF course
We have all of us considered that
'act and were 1 educated / could go
on and give YOU more views on this.
But am opposed to this increase in
salary based on the present financial
condition Of the State and I was in
hopes that the judges of this State
would be willing to sacrifice and suf-
Ter with the rest of her people, We
are approaching q time and it looks
Is If We were approaching it now.
lou take the farmers. their cattle are
cut in the middle, the best half Of
them carried off; and the tax does
not remain the same, it will be in
creased. Now il there was an article
N the warrant for every town meet
ing IN this State in increase the
Judges salaries in this State, what do
you think the verdict would be?
lnere isn't the least mite of doubt,
senator's, in your mind what that
verdict would be, not the least in the
world. There would be a majority
against it SO large that it. wouldn't
@worth while to consider. the mi
horty or to report it. am heartily
favor at this time of this amend
nent and for these reasons. Now I
vas opposed to, the increase Of any
alaries i'll this State. You can IN
uease a large salary better than you
aa a small one. When the jurors
Sne in here and asked for money
'lossh-or a bill was introduced to
Wy them a reasonable. price. 1t was
Nported "ought not to pass" Is there