New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-05
RECEIVERSHIPS COSTLY
attorney General Would Change
LaoC-AnnuaI Report Ready.

Albany, March Attorney General Julius NJ.
Mayer. in his annual report. which will be sub
mitted TO the Legislature tomorrow night, dis
cusses at length the unsatisfactory condition Of
the present law in regard to the expenses Of re-
ceiverships. After declaring that these expenses
in many instances have been entirely dispropor-
Tomato the results attained. and that extra al
lowances ana large aggregates of attorneys fees
have deple ed such estates. he recommends changes
in the law so to lessen the expense of receiver
ships as well to make clea< some of the provi-
sions which at present obscure. The report
says:
am not unmndful that in soma of these estates
the receivers and attorneys have been confronted
with very serious problems, and that their work
also that to obtain good service it is necessary
pay competent lawyers fair compensation: Never
to conduct these receivershps is no excuse for ex-
has no difficulty in obtaining members of the bar
testify the value of his services. The defence
many cases falls solely upon, the Attorney Cen
Attorney General to employ experts. II he can find
them OFTEN he cannot ma experts, by reason OF
Much Of his expense could be obviated if the
undertook his employment. His employment should
6e 10 @ s1o6 1st
the fees Of the attorney We're thus arranged by
expensive references TO ascertain what fees should
be awarded to him. ana these estates would be re:
lievei OF what is now great burden There need
in obtaining competent attorneys to do SUCH WOrK
as receivers may require in the future.
Attorney General Mayer calls attention to the
fact that the expense of the special franchise
litigation is. with a few exceptions. being borne
by the state. although the state treasury is not
benefited by the result. and he suggests that this
burden should be shared by the tax district which
will ultimately benefit by the result of such It'll
cation.
According TO the report. the state has been sue
cessfu during the in majority of the litiga-
tons which 1t has been party In the various
courts OF eight argued in the United States
Supreme Court seven were decided in favor of the
state while the state was successful in fourteen
out OF seventeen argued in the Court of Ap-
were argued, thirty-four of them being decided in
the states favor. many Of the decisions against
the state being subsequently reversed in the Court
of Appeals. During the year 1923 suits and pro-
ceedings finally disposed of and S25302 60 was
recovered for the state Since January l, 1865, ti-
cations OF great Importance in relation to taxa
ton or the revenues of the state have been disposed
of finally in progress In the courts. Four
teer of tt4se cases have heen decided by the Court
OF Appeals. the DECISIONS III lhlrleeh OF winch FAVOR
the state
The total assessed valuations of the special fran
chises in disposed of prior to January /.
1895 aggregate $50. 965. 1i9 4s The amount Of
sessed value involved in contested Htigatons pend
ing before referees is IN round numbers, S6l3 0000
Twenty-three persons have been convicted of
crimes against the election law during the year,
three had sentence suspended and certificate Of
| reasonable doubt granted in the remaining
| case. A number of indictments are stiH pending
| and will be tried soon as practicable.