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

1.-THE Governor has an appointment to
make as a justice of this court, 1t is
not well that he should be Obliged
to canvass all the lawyers in the
State Of Maine, or any large per-
centage of the lawyers. I think there
should be a salary commensurate
with the living conditions and living
expenses, with the dignity of the Of
fee; and ] think it should be suffi-
. cient so that if man is asked to &C
cept that position he will feel that
he can afford to accept the appoint
ment. The men who are at present
occupying these positions are not
asking for money; if they were they
would not be upon this bench. Many
of them can make a great deal more
money than they are making today,
without any question. We feel that
these men have left this matter in
our hands. They do justice by US in
, court, and I think it is nothing more
than right and fair that we should
do justice by them here, and / hope
that the motion will not prevail.
Mr.. WEATHERBEE of Carroll:
Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen, AS a
new member among you. I could not
sit here in my seat as listener while
F., this matter was under discussion,
without expressing my opinion. I
feel that this is so important a guess
ton that l would not be doing my du-
ty if I were not to express what be-
lieve to be the sentiment of the peo-
{, pie whom I represent. You have lis
tened very carefully to the elooueace
| of the various speakers VINO nave adj
dressed you upon this subject, and I
will endeavor to abbreviate my own
remarks.
First. permit me TO refer you to
the remarks of the distinguished gen.
tleman from Kennebec, Senator Far
rinSton, while addressing the Honor
able. Senate upon this matter on
Thursday of last week. In defend
| ing this proposed increase before his
colleagues, he referred to the fact
that our Budget Committee had unan-
imously recommended an increase in
! the salary of justices of the Supreme
court to the sum of SS000.. and that
the committee on salaries and fees
had also unanimously recommended
an increase to $780,, without any op-
position. 1t seems to me there is no
doubt of the fact that our Budget
committee recommended this increase
as compromise with one of our ex-
public officials, and I think they
should be congratulated; / think they
should be given a vote of thanks for
! being able to affect a compromise
with the gentleman in question. We
also know that all members of the
committee on salaries and fees are
not champions of this measure at the
present time. We do not doubt that
the lawyers know and realize the sit
uation, especially after being so in
formed by the distinguished Senator:
but that sthe rest of US would acoui-
esce without sufficient enlightenment
is an improper conclusion to be
drawn.
1t seems to me, Mr.. Speaker and
gentlemen, that the sum of $4,000, to-
gether with the general expenses
which are paid by the State, and es-
pecially when we consider that our
judges are to be retired upon half paw
after service of ten years, providing
they have not reached the age of 70
years, is a fairly charitable sum for
the work performed during a term
of office. OF the eight Judges who
are now serving us so efficiently, six
of them are already between the ages
of 60 and 20, so that they will be re-
tired within a very few years; six Of
the eight are almost at the retire.
ment age, which means that if they
live the average length of life given
by the insurance companies, on the
increased basis of expenditure, it
would mean S225,000 of the peoples
money. in excess of what we will pay
the incoming board of judges. Now
if it is fact, and it has been so stat
ed by the chairman of our most i'm
portant committee. that our judges
who stepped cut of the practice and
received five. times the amount of
their present salary, or $4,000 a
year. how have we been able to keep
eight of the ablest lawyers in the
State of Maine contentedly serving
as justices of our Supreme Judicial
Court during so many years in the
past?
I feel with Senator Morrill,. that
if this question could be laid before
the people of our State today for
them to vote upon, that their answer
would be overwhelmingly for no in
crease of salary at this time Let us
now have this Legislature go on rec
ord as one of the people, by the people
and for the people. Let us not talk
of economy unless we intend to prac-
tice economy. Let us not talk of I'M
necessary expenditures unless we in
tend to act so as to curtail those ex-
penditures. Each of us here in this
Legislature represents several thou
sand of the taxpayers of our State.
and we feel that it is their desire
that we close the door at this time
against salary increases and against
extravaganza. When your income
and the incomes of the people whom
you represent are being reduced. il
is no time to increase the salary of
any State official; and in closing. T
beg of you not to open the door at
this time but rather to show to those
who placed us here by their votes in
September that we still remain true
to the trust which they placed In us.
l thank you, gentlemen. (Applause)