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Show No. 7 Gains Support As Election Date Nears Sentiment in favor of Amendment Number 7, which would make operative at once the law granting the first pay raise to Utah judges since 1903, has been growing steadily stead-ily over the state, according to reports received by the Utah Press and large numbers of civic clubs, sponsors of the amendment. The 1945 State Legislature grant-'. grant-'. ed increases of from $4000 to $5400 annually for District Court Judges and from a salary of $5000 to $7200 annually for Supreme Court Justices. But under the Utah Constitution, Con-stitution, only newly elected judges can receive the increases. Amendment Number 7 would eliminate this inequality and permit per-mit all the judges to share immediately imme-diately in their first salary increases in-creases in 43 years. According to unofficial surveys, most persons are loathe to believe that Utah's judges are still receiving receiv-ing salaries that were in effect when it was possible to purchase a good suit for $20, or to buy a pound of butter for 18 cents. In 1903, steers were selling from $5 to S5.50 and hogs brought $7 to $7.30. Women's shoes were selling sell-ing from $1 to $2.45, and a man could purchase a genuine Stetson hat for $4. Sponsors of the amendment, in urging a "yes" vote, point out that even with the increases, Utah judges still will be among the lowest low-est paid in the Nation. Less populous pop-ulous states in the West pay their jurists from $1000 to $3000 more than does Utah. The authorized increase will only add one-tenth of one per cent to State government costs, sponsors point out |
