Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-11-08

Field and the Rev. DR.. Henry M. Field, of
The Evangelist Mr.. Field was born at Had
dam, Conn, Feb. 10, 1905; graduated at Will
liams college in 1925; was admitted to the bar
in 1928, and practiced continuously upto $3.50.
AS far back as 1889 he wrote a 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 we're submitted to the legislature in
1850. His code of civil procedure was adopt
ed after hard fight, and his system is now
in operation in twenty-four states and terri
tories In 1873 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 to further the adoption of his project.
Though 81 years of age, Mr.. Field is hale and
vigorous as ever, and no less ardent in the
cause of codfcation.
Mr.. Field said: 1t is said of Daniel We'd
ster that, when he was thinking of be-
coming lawyer, some one asked him wheth-
er 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
one 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
crowdng.
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 10000, and this for a
population of, say, 66,OOO,OOO.
How does this proportion compare with
that of other countriesl 1t is vastly greater.
| took occasion two or three years ago to in
quire about the number of lawyers in France
and Germany France has a population of
40 600, 600, and has 5000 lawyers and z, 400
officials who do the work of attorneys with
U.S. In other words, it has one lawyer to
every 4,673 persons Germany has 1000 law
yers and 45, 900, 900 population, or one lawyer
to every 6,423 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 II 900 lawyers in New
York state. The population of the state is
about 6,000, 0OO. Any one can calculate for
himself that the ratio of lawyers to the popu-
lation is l to 545 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 as well as |, and can
judge whether that is overcrowding or not
What is the ratio of lawyers to the popula-
ton in the rest of the United Statesl Less, l
should think, than In the state OF New York;
but according to the best calculations can
make there are &C, 900 lawyers in the United
States for a population Of, say, $4,000, 900.
York state) That means that there is one
lawyer for every 900 of population, or one
to every 250 males of full age.
l attribute this overcrowding to the con-
fusion in the laws and the ignorance of the
people concerning them. 1t has gotten SC
now that hardly any man of business dares
make a contract without consulting his law
yer. You ask the remedyl In my opinion
it is to collect, condense and arrange the laws
by which the people are governed in their
daily transactions; in other words, to make
a code for the people. This, though l have
been working for 1t during the last forty
years, has met at every step with the strong
and determined opposition of great body OF
lawyers, whether majority Of them or moi
l cannot tell The longer the confusion goei
on, the greater must be the number of the
lawyers 1t will soon get to be SO that citi
zen in business must have a lawyer Mt hi.
elbow all the time
How is it in other countriesi Well, l an
informed that, if a question arises in
shop in Paris, it Il no uncommon thing fo
the shop girl to take down the French cod