New-York tribune., 1901-11-17
ABNER c. THOMAS.

he knows little about the daily life of the court
He realizes that estates are speedily, effectively
and svrpathetically settled there. but his mag
ination does not stir itself further 1t is only
when he learns how enormous is the bulk OF
business performed and how excellently 1t Is
done that he gains clear idea of the service
the Surrogate judges and their assistants render
TO the community
Last wear the busiest in the history of the
court Justices Frank T, Fitzgerald and Abner
c. Thomas. Surrogates Of this county. were
nearly overwhelmed with the business Of their
Jurisdiction but so faithfully did they apply
themselves TO their duties that this year opened
with every case either fully decided or carried
as far along the road toward settlement as cir
cunstances would permit. In that year, l9oo'
the astonishing total Of 669f different estates
were brought into the court. Each had to run
its course Of administration. had to be account
ed and passed through the various steps before
final settlement was effected Upon 1859 spe-
cial motions heard and disposed Of the Surro-
rates handed down 3.o60 written decisions. IN
addition to this nineteen issues of fact on ac-
countings Were tried out before the Surrogates
in open court
There were in that year 291 hearings before
the Surrogates on contested wills. An idea OF
the mere routine labor which the judSes are
called upon to perform can be gained when it is
and DEGREES in addition 10 subscribing TO l9ooo
other papers. Besides this. they initiated thou
sands more
THE GREAT TAX COLLECTED
But perhaps the most striking statement
which can be made show the amount of
work which is almost literally piled upon them
Is this. For the fiscal year ended December 30
1900 the total tax collected on transfers or
legacies in the entire State was S4,534,Stl5 "a
To this sum New-York County alone contributed
So 5o6 065 %. In other words. in this county was
collected more than 50 per cent of all the trans
fer taxes which were paid TO the State Control
Ter. The sum collected in the boroughs of Man
haitian and The Bronx was in excess of that
raised by the tax upon corporations, which
amounted to s. 624.50S %. Only by the presen-
-a-ion of such evidence can a correct estimate
mo formed of the activity in the Surrogate's s
court to-day
Again. when the summary Of the principal
work Of the Surrogate's Office for 19o0 prepared
bv Edward w. Bonynge, deputy chief clerk, Is
consulted il is found that in the 6,694 different
estates which come into the court 3,2l4 letters
of administration were granted and issued; III
foreign wills were admitted TO probate, 1,9Ol
local wills were admitted. and 1,402 letters OF
guardianship We're granted and issued
Other figures taken from the same summary,
demonstrate the activity of the office. Some of
these aggregates for 1900 were: Wills offered for
probate 1908; dispositions Of witnesses TO wills
taken > 1Q3: oaths and acknowledgements ad-
ministered Cprobate Department., l2,493; folios
recorded by recording and other clerks, 2oi,o4o;
records compared Cfolios) 153. 165; folios copied
fcertif5catesl 1906; folios written, compared
and certified TO iii orders 4S,4o1; suretes on ad-
r,1inistration bonds examined and accepted,
69a2: oaths and acknowledgements on bonds
administration Department.. 1884; general
guardians annual accounts fled, AGO; general
guardians oaths and acknowledgements admin
tstered and taken, $500. 1t is interesting TO note
that in the quarterly returns of estates made to
the State Controller and TO the Controller of this
CITY 1 797 were testate and 3. .455 intestate.
Here is a comparison which may prove more
interesting than The foregoing TO those who dis
like statistics. There siXty-one counties in
New-York State, and to each is given one Surro-
gates court and justice with the exception Of
New-York County, where there is Surro-
gates court and two justices The business done
by the present administration in the local court
is in excess Of that of all the other counties
combined. Kings, Westchester and Erie counties
all of them important jurisdictions-are in
Guided in the list of sixty courts contrasted with
that of New-York County. The point to this
paragraph, then, is that Justices Fitzgerald and
Thomas accomplish more work In one year than