Evening star., 1948-09-27
Cour:tsAs
2.Mi||ion Fund.-;
Ju|yCostCited
Judge Borse Offers
Budget Estimate;
Conferences Stort
By Jerry o'Leory, L.

city heads began closed hearings
with department heads on their
fiscal forecasts.
The executive sessions, at which
the department heads will defend
their budget estimates for the mex,
fiscal year. will continue for abou,
two weeks. Citizens will get theil
chance to comment on the bulge,
al a public hearing scheduled fol
October 81.
The courts budget is broken down
as follows
reimbursement to the United
States for the Districts share OF
1850 expenses of the Federal courts
$l,000,0OO, compared with the 1884
900 paid this year.
Municipal Court, $3.50, 400.
Juvenile Court, s278, 100.
Register of Wills, $162,772.
Municipal Court of Appeals, s7e.-
200.
Probation System, 1874.
Commission On Mental Health
$41,037.
Jury Payments Increased.
Citing the recently passed law in
creasing payments to jurors from
s4 to IS a day, Chief Judge George
P. Barse of Municipal Court asked
the Commissioners to approve a
s53o,40O budget estimate for flsca.
195G-$45.800 more than the cur
rent appropriation.
The increase reflected in the flscal
forecast includes S69,100 for jury
payments compared with the SAL ,OO(
required to meet the payments II
fiscal 1949.
The new estimate also was In.
fated, Judge Barse said, by man
daUory wage increases that increased
the Municipal Court payroll for the
1Ol court employees from 4l2,54s
this year to an expected $424, ,603
Salaries of the 10 judges, however
remained constant at a grand tota
Of $99,775.
Printing and binding costs als'
will rise from S5,735 to $7,435.
Judge Barses budget request ad'
vised the Commissioners that the
court handled 1888 cases in the
last fiscal year and registered
cash income of s1,345 ,291-almos
three times the amount of the l94t
court appropriation.
The jurist pointed out, however
that it will be necessary to request
a supplemental fund for the 1949 ap'
preparation to provide additiona
compensation that must be paid tt
Jurors under the new law and be-
cause of the increased number OF
cases.
Although Judge Barse said the
court had not yet decided whether
TO adopt the microflming system for
court records, he asked permission
to try out the space-Savlng tech
nioue if it is so desired. He said
part of the s2,l92 filing cabinet fund
would be used for experimental mi
crofilming if it seems desirable. He
pointed out that the Federal courts
are using the system on an expert
mental basis.
Judge Fay l.. Bently asked the
Commissioners to approve $278,70C
budget estimate for running the Ju-
venile Court in fiscal 1850.
The estimate, a $21, 100 increase
over the s257,600 appropriated fol
the court this year, calls for $4,000
to microflm court records which
now are overhowing in 100 cabinets
Saving Is Seen.
In requesting the $4,000 for mi
crofilming Juvenile Court records
Judge Bentley told the Commission
ers:
The film recording the 100 cabi-
nets of records at the court could
be Accommodated in less than hall
the space now required for one four
drawer cabinet. The space that
would be saved by filming these re-
cords and the 100 filing cabinets
that would become surplus once the
filming was done, adds up to a figure
which in two or three years is far
in excess Of what the cost of having
the records placed on film.
THE court requires approximate
ly 1,5C0 square feet of space to &C
commodate its records. At $3.50 OF
SO per square foot the cost of this
space represents an annual cost OF
$4,000 or more. The replacement
value of filing equipment is at least
$4,000. The economy of microfllm-
ing is obvious
The rest of the increased budget
sought for the next fiscal year is
based on mandatory wage increases
totalling $7,313 for the II Juvenile
Court employees, the constantly in.
creasing number of court hearings
and the rising cost of all materials
No new jobs are requested in the
Juvenile Court fiscal forecast.
Other Requests.
Judge Bentley's equipment cos
schedule predicts an increase O.
from Sl,285 in this fiscal year t.
$4,460 in the next.
The city heads were asked TO,
$4,000 to pay jurors. No increas'
was asked, despite the low raising
Jury pay from 81 to S5 a day, be
cause the full allotment was no
used up this year.
The Municipal Court of Appeals
estimate, submitted to the Commits
sioners by Judge Nathan Cayton, i
,2O0-an increase of $1,000 owe
the current appropriation. Within
grade wage increases make up tn
greatest part of the increase.
The Probation System estimate
$57,s14 represents q requested in
crease Of s6,314. No increase
asked in the l6-man force although
the estimate points out that tn
present staff Is still inadequate
we are to have a probation system
comparable TO other enlightene
communities.
Register of Wills Theodore Cogs
we'll asks sl62,772, an increase O
$l9,772 over the $l43,000 appropri
ated for this fiscal year. Manda
tory wage increases alone will &C
count for s14,272 OF the increas
sought. Mr.. Cogswell told the cit
heads his gilman staff is forced +
use antiquated methods but is no
requesting funds for microflmin
and other modern technique equip
men: because OF the Districts fisca
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