Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-23
A FINE INDEX.
Says Lawyerof That for Names
New Revised Statutes.
Praises Commissioner MorrilPs Good
Work in This Line.
And Describes the Many Desirable Fea-
lures the Index Contains.

! Up at the State House, yesterday, l
met n lewyer, well known in the legal
circles of Maine, who had been privi-
/ legged to examine one of the few COM
plete copies of the new edition of the
/ Revised Statutes which have been sent
out. OF course one couldn't talk WIN
| a lawyer for a great length of time, es-
pecially in the State House, when tnat
particular lawyer was there to large
extent for the purpose of asking now
long it would be before the new BOOKS
would be available to all who wish q
F! copy, without saying something ABOUT
them. Consequently in very snort
time we We're saying something ABOUT
/ the work hich Commissioner NORTH
and those no assisted him have done.
Having more than once had occasion
! to refer to indexes of large volumes
and knowing how terribly bad some OF
them were, while not having seen that
of the newly Revised Statutes OF the
State of Maine, deliberately ana Win
malice aforethought. led the legal gen.
tleman into a talk on the subject.
| Now Mr.. Blank" for that's the only
name under which he would consent To
allow what he said to be pupilshed'
said I. what kind Of an index has MI.
Morrill, prepared for the new DOCK:
you've seen it and ought to be able To
give some kind of an opinion on this
subject"
Really the answer was longer than
what l expected. but it was so compli-
mentary to Mr.. Morrill, that L felt
rather glad that the subject had been
brought up.
ITO start with" said he. there is an
old saw in the legal profession to the
effect that the trouble is not so much
to know the law, as to know where to
fined it.
From the examination l have made
of the new index, just out, of the Re-
vised Statutes of the State it seems to
me that so far as all Statutory law is
concerned this trouble is we'll nigh alb
solutely removed. From what eXdmin-
alton l have been able to give the in
dex it impresses me as being by far the
finest piece of work in this line ever
accomplished in this State. 1t cannot
fail to delight. not only the legal pro-
fession. but, also. all who have occa-
Sioin to consult the Statutes. In say
| ing this do not wish to be understood
as disparaGing in any way the work of
previous commissioners on our Statu-
tory Isevisions, but the simple fact is
| that the art of indexing has been enor-
| mously developed since their time. I'M
TIL today. it ranks almost as one of the
| exact sciences.
| II understand that Mr.. John A. Nor
riil. the commissioner appointed to eff
| feet the 1903 Revision, was early con-
| fronted with the vastly important prob
lem of the index. He made an exhaus-
| tive study of the subject in its most
| modern and scientific development and
! finally concluded that the most salts
| factory form for a Statutory Revision
was that employed in the latest Revi-
sion of the Massachusetts Statutes.
| Maine index, therefore. follows closely
the arrangement adopted i'll Massachu-
sets. The typographical appearance
of our index. however, to my mil I. is
greatly superior to that Of the Massa-
chusetts index, particularly i'll the use
of a heavier face of type for the catch
words. making them stand out much
more prominently"
Wont you give me a description of
this index as it is and in way to
max" it better understood by those who
are not familiar with such matters?"
/ asked.
'Oh. yes. to begin with: Each page
of the index contains two columns,
which not only economiZe space. but
facilitates reference by confirming the
eye within much narrower limits. Hav-
ing less space to cover the eye travel
quickly from catch word to catch word
The arrangement of the index is strict
ly alphab etical throughout; that is, the
sub-headings under the general head
ings are alphabetically arranged, and
sub-heads. If any, under the sub-heads
are in tina, .yle. also. AS an ilustra-
ton of the treatment of a large subject
take the title. finland Fisheries and
Game" The large subdivisions of this
title are arranged in the following or
der: I'm General" Commissioners"
Grimes and Offences Fish"
Game" Transportation" "Wardens."
Under each of these subdivisions are
heavy faced sub-headings alphabet
ically arranged. and under these latter
still further sub-headings whenever
necessary. also alphabetically arranged.
ITO give a concrete illustration let us
take from the subdivision Game" the
following extract from the index, which
will show the general arrangement
much better than 1 can describe it:
GAME
(Animals)
Beaver. killing prohibited ....... II $50
commissioners may permit kill
Caribou close time on ............. Is 351
dog, chasing lawfully killed.. 20 ~
nu-,;,r So h,,,.;,r ,a,,I.,.