The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-05
THE MEN STATE CODES.
BALLINGER'S WORK ISSUED TO THE
LEGAL PROFESSION.
The Distin guished JuriSt Completes
the First Thorough Compilation
of the statutes and Codes OF

Several attempts have been made 20
secure a thorough revision OF the statutes
OF this state. bur they have all fallen short
OF the needs of the profession Legisia-
tive aid has been afforded compilers IN
the past. but the need Of a more complete
ccdificasion urged the Bancroft-W hitney
Company to undertake the work as a pri-
vate enterprise and the result is the pro-
duction of two handsome volumes The
people OF this state generally are inter-
ested in, and VIII be proud of the fact
that all the work and material were fur
nished by home talent and Industry. The
great work OF compilation was done by
ex-Ju6ge r. A. Bailinger, formerly of the
superior court of jefferson county, but
now Of Seattle, who had acquired ma
tional reputation by his mastery work
on Community Property" which at
once took supreme place as the standard
work on ganancial law. The typesetting
which speaks for itself. was done in the
Post-Intelligenesr office, the paper was
manufactured by the Everett Mil Com
pany, and the press work and binding by
the Calvert Company
Excellent as the mechanical work is,
however. ii Is subordinate both by intrinsic
merit and method to the fauitless editorial
work of the compiler. Only lawyers who
have laboriously pored over the old stat
utes and the compilations can appreciate
the marvellous accuracy and the intelligent
harmonizing of the arrangement. Balm
gers Codes and Statutes sweep away all
previous publications. and the book Is by
its own virtue the state authority The
constitution of the state is published with
cross references to the codes of every
other state and is separately indexed and
annotated. A table of cross references
with Hilrs code connects the new work
with the older compilation showing what
laws are continued and what are obsolete.
repealed or superseded.
Under each section legislative reference
is given. showing when the law was first
enacted and subsequent amendments are
referred TO By the session laws. Where
any provision had been adopted from the
code OF another sta-e that is indicated, to-
gether with the interpretations given by
other state courts. To these exceptionally
good features are added a most thorough
system OF indexing and cross references so
that where a particular point of inquiry is
NOT clear 10 the lawyer the titles are made
suggestive. and the old-fashioned wood
en-" style OF limiting the index to the ac-
tual words EMPLOYED is made so elaborate
that no practitioner of ordinary experience
is at loss.
The future mas been provided for also.
Section numbers are left in blank to af-
ford space for additions, but even more
important is the comprehensive system of
generic titles and sectionization, which
permits OF later legislation being brought
under them in a logical manner and with
great convenience.
comparison OF Ballinger's Codes and
Statutes, suggested by a fairly wide ex-
perience. justifies the claim that il is not
surpassed by the codification of the laws
CT any other state in the Union.