Evening star., 1925-02-23
The Pay of Judges.

a Oil Las just uSSn reported 10 lne
House, with the approval of the COM
mittee on Judiciary, providing for
horizontal increase in the pay Of Fed
eral judges. This measure though
coming in for considsra tion at the
close Of the session, should be rated
as one Of the items of business surely
to be PASSED before adjournment. For
II is not only measure OF justice to
the me- who are sitting on the Fed
eral bench, but a measure also of wis
dom to maintain the standard of the
courts which are engaged in the in
terpreta ton and application of the
laws of the United States
Congress has just voted an increa ne
OF salary to its own members and to
the heads of departments. That action
was just recognition of the fact that
the compensation of national legisla.
tors has not been adequate. The same
consideration applies to the pay of the
members of the various Federal courts,
and there is even more reason for ne.
ton upon this pending measure. For
when a man is named and accepts
service as a member of the judiciary
he must surrender all emoluments and
opportunities for financial reward out
side of his Official duties. He must de.
vote himself exclusively 10 his judicial
task. He has not even the chances of
member Of Congress for private oc-
cupation.
In the report of the House commit
tee on this bill it is set forth that since
1891 the salary of district judges has
been raised so per cent, that OF circuit
judges 3S1z per cent and that of Su.
preme Court judges 16 per cent. Dur
ing the same period the general pur.
chasing power of a dollar has de-
creased from 100 to about 2T. The
wages of farmhands has Increased 500
per cent, OF stenogra piers $50 per
cent, Of housemaids 400 per cent, OF
brieklayers 450 per cent and Of school
teachers $50 per cent. In 1891 a dis
trict judge was paid about seven times
the annual wage Of a mason. AT pres
ent Federal district judge receives
less than twice as much as brick
layer
Under the present salary scale the
entire Federal judiciary costs only
$1,535, ,991.91, or less than a cent and
a half for each person in the United
States. The bill now pending will if
enacted into law, add to this sum
s743,000, and the total cost will still be
less than cents year for each per-
son.
The United States Government pays
its law interpreters, its Federal Judges.
less than many of the States pay their
jurists. The salaries of the Judges of
the State of New York at this time
exceed the total amount paid to all of
the Federal judges. In the country as
a whole the State judges cost the peo-
pie OF the States an average of l2
cents a person annually: in New York
they cost an average OF 1919 cents
per person.
These are striking, convincing fig.
ures. The men chosen for the Federal
Judiciary are selected for their ability
and integrity. Such a selection is an
honor. 1t should not be a sacrifice.
The present scale OF judicial pay is
such that many worthy, able men hesi-
tate about acceptance when anpoint-
ment is rendered. That bar should be
removed. This pending bill will re-
move it. Its passage is demanded both
in justice to those who are now giving
themselves to the most important
work of the Federal Government and
in justice to the people of this coun,
try, who should be assured Of a judi
ciary composed of the best men to be
found.