The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-09
PAr OF sTENOGRAPHERs.
The Fraternity'a Interest in n Recent Decision
BY the supreme Court Of New York.

The Fraternity's %1nterest In n Recent Decision
BY the Supreme Court OF New York.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Sir: A decision
rendered not long ago by the Appellate Division
OF the Second Department OF the Supreme Court
Of New York has caused reporters considerable
uneasiness. 1t argues that the fees Of stonog-
raphers are altogether too large and that their
charges for reporting references are oxtraordi-
nary and unwurranted. A portion of the opinion
referred to is as follows:
There have been i44 hearings before the referee,
tho longest hearing being four hours and the shortest
one hour. tho average being u fraction less than two
h ,urs and q half for each hearing. From time to time
the defendant has paid to his attorney the sum OF
o., 800, to tile referee from time to time 5000. to
sterographers and witness = sl,H@6h3, Tho ro:creo
has been paid in all about $1,000, and the s'cnpg.
rapher about 81. 900; 1870 pages Of testimony have
been taken and %nfty.three witnesses heard.
For a long time the fees of referees led the process.
sion of fees. and frequently amounted to more than
the sums paid TO counsel. But established order can.
not always maintain itself. Steuographcrs looked
with Jealous eye upon this fatncBs OF fees. Modestly,
but with determination. rortinncity, md legislation
to aid. they cr'pt up, desire ev' fcr ping pace with
opportunity. until It hos brought them at the top,
with appetite whctted and keen scent for more.
It Ia the usual thing now that stenogra
piers fees are greater than referees fees.
We read In the present record: "Thc referee has
been paid about el,70O. Tho stenographcr has
received about 81. 300" And more is to come. The
defendant surely can testify that the sentimental age,
when honor and rcnown was the motive which
brought men to devotion in the law, has passed away.
He seems TO have met only the hardest kind OF hard,
practical facts, and 10 at present being ground be.
tween the upper milestone OF the plaintiffs active ef.
forts and the lower milestone of his attorneys refusal
to act, or to permit any one else to do so. 1t Is these
things which bring the administration of Justice into
disrepute. This practice courts should lay hold Of
with an iron hand, setting their stern disapprOval
upon such methods. The system impovertshes iii.
giants. amounts to a denial of justice. and is the cause
of Just complaint bv the people.
The Court emphasizes the fact that the sum
\ paid to the reporter often exceeds that paid to
the referee. and declares substantially that for
several years past the demands Of shorthand
writers have been increasing at an alarming
rate. Experienced reporters. however, md
other persons acquainted with the subject will
not agree with the opinion so far as it concerns
the members OF the shorthand fraternity.
From the time that shorthand was first used
In this country for recording the proceedings Of
courts. the established charge OF nor. salaried
stenogrnphers has been % cents per folio OF 100
words for a single copy. additional copies being
made at a much lower rate, In the case above
alluded 10 the tEpewritten transcript consisted
Of 4.910 pages, The usual number Of words on
a page OF legal matter is about $50, and very
rarely will a page contain less than 200. K
record OF 4, $40 pages OF 200 words each would
make 9,9Io folios, which. at IS cents each.
would amount to S2.4s5. or S5s5 more than the
reporter IN the case mentioned actually charged.
that St na ,Se t e"m Tlfgn%It%n nee ;b also pei Is !. SURPRISING !5pTis ns
less thnn that OF the stenoErnpherl In the case
Of a reference lasting four hours. for example.
the work OF he referee ceases at the end OF that
time. while the work OF the reporter scarcely
begins. For him remains the wcariscme task Of
debating his notes and editing the copy. # the
session has been II lively one. eight or ten hours.
or even longer. may he required for him TO 90
transcription. Quotations and technical!tics
are likely TO be encountered. Both must be cap.
familiar with the latter. In use OF uncertainty
ne VIII take time to consult u library before per-
m n,ar terms about which he Is doubtful to
more t~ypewriters To receive his dictation. and
must naHo furnish r, sintionGry ana wh1t"ycr else is
necessary expenditures, Therefore, the reporter
has leIt as his share Of remuneration somewhat
Ifthe stcnogrtpher's charge il the case cited
were based on the amount OF time consumed nv
hours each. it would be found that SI, 800, The
amount he received. fell far short Of tornpen.
> Years s'' ago VI when t"q "a" rcp > qtfnE'S %a Sy done one ' n long.
hand lawyers were obliged to proceed very
slowly Wit their examination and the process
charged from TOTO 20 cents a folio for his COPY,
and ne, accomplished perhaps one-six,h or one.
seven h as much in n given time ms will "A com.
petent stcnoCrapher to-day. In Great Britain,
II ! mistake not, n folio is scventy:wo words,
not 100. and the smaller folio was the one
charScd for in this country in the days OF long.
hand reporters.
Yet it is asserted that reporters NOWADAYS
should, he paid no more than was received BY
thcir longhnnd- writing ancestors. This argu.
ment Is really that OF tho man who denounced a
railroad company for chnrCing tho same far for
an hours ride rs was charged ilt,y vcnrs ago for
nan " Gays ride in a strgccoaCh. The fact that
ne could cover ten times the distance by rail
mat h"could by stage in Il given time didn't an.
zeal to him.
The si"noGrapher who successfully roports
references or Ia" cases Of any sort must be well
READ, painstnking. conscientious. and n hard
worker. His pnth is by 10 means fowery and
his fees are we'll earned.