Evening star., 1924-03-04
CHAPTER TX,
The Department Of Justiee-e5 Cents
In $1,000.

S0Ax / En- xAs
The Department Of Justiee-e5 Cents
In $1,000.
The Attorney General 10 the head
OF the Department Of Justice. He is
the chief law officer of the federal
government. His duty IL to see that
all FEDERAL laws are enforced. The
once has. from its organization in
1857 been considered Of the very
doinS dseHssest st J,npfI; J1m,pGstsnee. Edmund Ran.
Lawyers of his day. was the first to
hold IT. He was one of the Ave mem-
Ders In the first cabinet of George
asnlngton. The Supreme Court Of
sne Cnlted states has always been
considered as part Of the depart
ment-at least 80 far as expenses are
concerned.
The early records show that the
nrss attorney General received $500
= shs year 4TI as salary. the Chief Justice Of
while the associate justices each re-
celVeo $500. The average yearly
expense Of this department. Including
81 an expenses and salaries Of the Su-
In the nation, cost the government a
little less than 100000 year In the
days Of Randolph.
NOW the business is tremendous in
tolums. t New duties have been added
ment OF Justice has jurisdiction over
al! federal judges, all United States
attorneys. all federal prisons. Its
bureau or Investigation has become
very large and very powerful. The
the customs laws, the drug act and
many others Is spending much time
ana money ferrcting down violations
OF federal statutes.
What the Judges Cost.
Let us go into this a little closer.
The whole integrity of the judicial
system of the United States is bound
up with the Office Of the Attorney
General. No office IL more important.
No man with a. breath Of sus-
ptcion attached. to him should ever
No politician should be appointed by
the President. It's work is too impor-
tant. too fundamental-I almost said
too sacred-to have 1t stained by so
fnu nufh en-. as a.,,s a suspicion. His reputation
In the hands of the ATTORNEY Gen.
eral very largely rests the 4 lection
OF the officers of the whole federal
system of justice. The United States
is 30 large. SO vast, 80 bewildering In
ciate the power placed in the hands
Of such man.
Today there are thirty-three fed
eral circuit Judges. each paid a salary
life. There ars fve Judges On the
whom receives $1,000 a year for life.
There are III United States district
court judges. They each receive
$500 a year and have life appoint-
Inents. Then there are eighty-eight
United States district attorneys and
the same number of United States
marshaIs.
Over this permanent judicial or
ganization, the Attorney General has
great influence and power. In Rddi-
tion to these important appointments.
which are largely controlled by the
Attorney Generals Office, he freqently
appoints special counsel at great ex-
pense. in various places, to represent
his Office. In the annual report of
the Attorney General of the United
States for the fiscal year 1923 there
Is list of 131 special assistants to
the district attorneys, appointed dur
on an annual salary of from $4,000 to
$4,000 year and all expenses. These
appointments are controlled by the
Attorney General.
10000 Cases on DOckets.
To get an idea of this work. we
find that at the close of the fiscal
year 1923 there were more than $780,
900 cases. both civil and criminal.
awaiting trial or decision in the fed
eral courts of the land. These cases
are among the most important in
the land. They involve hundreds Of
millions Of dollars. They involve the
whole problem of defending democ-
racy in the United States.
And now for the expenses Of this
department.
"a For 1928 we find s660,00O was
spent for salaries in the Department
r6f Justice alone. This, Of course, does
not include any expenses or salaries
Of judges. We find that s734.000 was
spent for increase of compensation
This seems like a large item, but ]