Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-17

Field, and the Rev. Dr.. Henry NJ. Field, of
The Evangelist. Mr. Field was born at Had
lam, Conn, Feb 13, 1905; graduated at Will
hams college in 1925; was admitted to the bar
u 1928, and practiced continuously upto 1885.
As far back es 1889 he wrote Letter on the
Reform of the Judiciary System" which at
tracted wide attention, and from that
time on has been foremost in the cause
Of reforming and codifying the laws. His
completed codes Of civil and criminal pro-
cedure were submitted to the legislature in
1850 His code of civil procedure was adopt
ID after hard fight, and his system is now
in operation in twenty-four states and terri
tories In 1878 Mr.. Field presented his ''Out-
lines Of an International Code" to the Social
Science congress. 1t was translated into
various foreign languages and resulted in the
formation OF an international association de-
signed 10 furthsr the adoption of bis project.
vigorous as ever, and no less ardent in the
cause Of codifcatiou-
Mr.. Field said: It Is said OF Daniel We'd
ster that, when he was thinking of be-
coming q lawyer, some one asked him wheth-
ar the legal profession was not overcrowded.
His answer was that there was always room
In the front rank.
The same answer can be given now by any
pne who knows anything of the profession.
There is, and will always be, room enough in
the front rank. The other ranks are greatly
overcrowded. There is great jostling and
crowding.
There are more lawyers in the United
States in proportion to the population than
In any other country IN the world. The num-
Der is little less than ,000 and this for a
population Of, say, 66,oO0Ooo.
How does this proportion compare with
that of other countriess 1t is vastly greater
| took occasion two or three years ago to III
quire about the number of lawyers in France
and Germany. France has a population Of
10000, 900, and has 5000 lawyers and 2,400
officials who do the work OF attorneys with
u.s. In other words, it has one lawyer to
every 4.67S persons. Germany has 1000 law
yers and 45, 900 900 population, or one lawyer
TO every 6, ABB persons.
Last year the commissioners on the revis-
ion of the code of evidence, being required to
send copies of their work to the lawyers of
this state generally, did ascertain the names
and addresses of about IL 900 lawyers in New
York state. The population of the state is
about 100000. Any one can calculate for
himself that the ratio OF lawyers to the popu-
lstion is TO SIS Three-fourths of the popu-
lation are women and males under age and
hence, IN New York state, there is one law
yer to every 1856 males of adult age. This is
simply matter Of calculation, and any one
can make it for himself well as |, and can
judge whether that is overcrowGing or not
What is the ratio OF lawyers to the popula-
ton in the rest of the United States! Less. /
should think, than in the state OF New York;
but according TO the best calculations can
make there are *. 900 lawyers In the United
States for a population OF, say, 66000. 900.
fFhis calculation, of course. includes New
York state) That means that there is one
lawyer for every 1000 of population, or one
TO every go males of full age.
! attribute this overcrowdipg to the cou-
fusion in the laws and the ignorance OF the
people concerning them Ii has gotten 50
now thnt hardly any man Of business dareS
make a contract without consulting MS la
ser. You ask the remcjy3 In my opinion,
il is to collect, condense and arrange the laws
by which the people are governed in their
daily transactions, in other words. to plSke
Il code for the people. This, though l have
bssn working for it during the last forty
years, has met at every step With the strong
snd determined opposition Of great body of
lawyers, whether a jority of them or not
cannot tell. The longer the confusion goes
On, the greater must be the number OF the
lawyers 1t VIII soon get to be so that citi-
zen in business must have a lawyer at his
elbow aA the time
How Is It in other countriest Well, s,n
informed that, ii a question arises in a
hop IN Paris, it is no uncommon thinr for
ne shop girl TO take DOWN the French code
from the shelves and end an answer to the
.uestion
As regards The matter of gaining admission
the bar, % not think it Is any easier now
han It was years ago. The lawyers Of today
IRE better trained than lawyers formerly
were. l attribute this chiefly to the law
schools You ask me Il advise young men
20 enter the profession l answer tbs; the
legal profession Is Fhe first profession in the