The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-07
TAFT TALKS TO LAWYERS
 ABOUT THE LAWS DELAY
CONTINUED FROM PAGn l.,

 progress, anxious to remove real and just grounds for criticism in our pres- ent system I venture to think that one evil which has not attracted the atten- tion of the community at large. but which is likely to grow in importance as the inequality between the poor and rich in our civilization is studied, is the delays in the administration of justice between individuals. As between two wealthy corporations, or two wealthy in- dividual litigants and where the subject matter of the litigation reaches to tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars, our present system, while not perfect, is so far from proper results as to call for anxiety. The judges of the country, both state and national, are average good men. Venality in our judges is very rare
 Delays In Litigation.
 "The inequality that exists in our present administration of justice, and that sooner or later is certain to rise and trouble us and to call for popular condemnation and reform, Is in the unequal burden which the delays and expense of litigation under our system imposes on the poor litigant.''
 One remedy, MT. Taft said, remains in our judicial procedure, which Is now too cumbersome Another would be more expedition on the part of Judges in rendering their opinions. Delay, he said, always worked to the detriment of the poor and to the benefit of the wealthy litigant. As to appeals, MT. Taft believes that "the court of first instance" and the intermediate ap- pellate courts should be for the purpose of finally disposing in a just and prompt way, of contentious between lit igants. The appellate Jurisdiction of the court of last resort should be linn ited to those cases which are typical and which give to 1t in its judgment an opportunity to cover the whole field of the law.
 q believe that a great reform might be effected, certainly in the federal courts, and l think, too, in the state courts. by a mandatory reduction of the court costs and fees. The salaries of the court officers should be fixed and should be paid out of the treasury of the county, state or natioAal gov- ernment as the case may be, and the fees should be reduced to a low figure as possible.
 What Judges Need.
 "I think another step in the direction of the dispatch of litigation would be the requirement of higher quall- hCdlioHS TUT tnoSe JuuSeS who sit iu the cases involving small amounts.
 Another method by which their ir- ritation at the inequality in our ad- ministration of justice may be reduced is by the introduction of a system for the settling of damage suits brought by employees against public service cor porations through official arbitration and without resort to jury trials. Such a system Is working in England as I am informed, and has been success fully inaugurated in Massachusetts. No one can have sat on the federal bench as I did for eight or nine years and not realize how effective the admins tration of justice in these cases must have seemed to the defeated plaintiff whether he was the legless or armless employe himself, or his personal repre- sentative."
 As to the jury system. MT. Taft said:
 we cannot, of course, dispense with the jury system. It is that which makes the people part of the ad- ministration of justice by every means by which in civil cases, litigants may be induced voluntarily to avoid the ex- pense. delay and burden of jury trials ought to be encouraged, because in this way the general incident to delay Tn litigation greatly reduced"
 MT. Taft closed with tribute to the legal profession and cautioned that conservatism ought not to be allowed to prevent reforms which are in the Interest of equaiizing the administra- ton of justice as far as possible be- tween the poor and the rich.