New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-19

INsOIENCK AND RUDENEss IL rHE OFFICES con
NECTED WITH TIE COURTS
There are no departments of The city service
where polite attention 70 Legitimate inquiries and con
sideration for the wants Of the 20 ri public are 20
essential a. In the offices Of the clerks OF the various
Courts There are thousands ~ records filed away
under the charge II those clerks a. which the individual
citizen has the night OF access and which contain facts
that be can get nowhere else there too thousands
OF facts NJ to the methods Of Courts and their dong
which lawyers. az well a. laylnen must all seek from
the only place where accurate Information be OBJ
taned-the cerks offices. Each person knows when DE
goes TO make legitimate inquiries at these Offices that he
has the right To receive the proper Information,
civily given and a. fully the circum-
stances will permit. But there Il who
has had occasion TO sec much Of the methods ~
some OF thcsc offices who hiss not felt that
the subordinate clerks engaged there either grossly
ignorant Of the rights Of the public, or that they
tonly and OutrageOusly disregarded them The differ
ence however between the offices Of tho different CLERKS
Is very great and In the taken in such matters
ia as marked as the usolcnce, rdcncs and negligence
shown In others II would be difficult for instance 10
criticize the methods Of the Office Of the Cod of
the Superior Court Tic humbest labOrcr who calls
there 10 learn about his naturalization papers receives,
with the lawyer OF reputation his boy from
all the officials in that Office evil busncssike atten-
ton to his needs, and without waste Of time either
aide the necessary information II obtained Nearly II
not quite as much he said for the surrogao's Office
Here this cOnsidcrate disposition IA most Indispensable
especially small ones, that pass through TINS ONCE the
Probate Clerk the Administration Clerk
ar aT@ le9atc ,I' Of the icsiato: or intesate
Whose eststc is to he divided Despite all the annoy
aneas and difficulties incident 20 such work. II Ia always
done with quiet thoroughness aud cVi treatment Of a
In the County Clerks Office more depends upon the
character OF the individual official than upon the
methods of the County Clerk himself The chief clerks
Il the
the most part fair and polite. But number Of those
with whom lawyers have more particularly To do, In
searching for papers suits and other records II pet
ulaut aud cAprcOuH often rude and disposed 90 make
the getting Of the desired Information as annoying and
Mr Jarvis the clerk OF the Court Of Common Pleas.
has among his subOrdinates OF the best officials I'm
the eityincn well known for their Intelligence knowl-
edge the duties OF their places thOrOughnes OF work
and cvility OF manners. But he has of the
worst The latter probably would not clerks
but they are the officers with whom many nqirers Mt
the office are necessarily brought In contact aud through
whom the Information must De obtained They appear
10 have little else 10 do except 70 attend to such wants
and their uncy OF doing this has often led 20 the
xnressed wish by lawyers aud other callers that they
might be relieved even from these slight duties
But the place where the most hagrant violations OF the
rights of nquirers permitted where inpcrtinencc
and insoence and have the utmost freedom
exercise IL the Office 81 the clerk "i tho Marine Court
The clerks appear TO treat the place IA their p
vae oicca place where they have the right TO be uu-
disturbed and any one Interrupts mem III lhe ENJOY
ment Of their he must expect 10 be snnbbed get an
angry reply TO his questions, or be treated with silent
contempt. Not only are lawyers twno are not polite
ians) treated disrespeetfully, but even women
who sometimes find It necessary TO make In,
rudeness Mr. savage the clerk OF the Court, may not
be aware Of these tsss but they are matter, Of
There exceptionseven In this office TO the mum
Der Of those Who are guilty o. tSeSe ss ous e S
ut this condition OF Affairs ooncede that there are
ma any annoy ancSs a1 oh % hnt thev noInt 70
the offices like that OF the Superior Court where such
things are unknown and impossible as Evidence u,at
ut the same time oourteously