The Washington herald., 1909-04-19
UNIFORM LAW MOVEMENT
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.
By FREDERIC ]. HASKTN.

Now that the State legislatures, which
have seen in session during the past win
ter, are adiourning for the summer, il IS
interesting 20 notice what has been ac-
oomplshed TO begin with. II is esti-
mated that they added 1900 laws to the
statute books. and this Is perhaps an IN
der. rather than over estimate. During
the five years from 1889 TO 1904 the num-
Der o. laws added reached the wonder
ful total of 1852 During a single year
Of that period the number added was
over 14000. covering a total OF more than
1900 pages in the statute books. OK
course not all of these were public laws.
During tie hve-year period referred 10
the total number OF public acts was about
1900
So great has the overproduction OF law
become that legal authorities everywhere
have Joined IN en- effort TO assuage the
Hood Of legislation that IS crowding down
upon them. The courts ere not able to
keep the pace. The thousands OF de-
cisions that must be made by the judges
OF the country n constituting all this new
legislation are making a mass Of legal
literature Of unwieldly proportions. No
sooner is one digest OF decisions, covering
twenty or more volumes, completed until
II becomes such a back number that an
other must oe begun. II Is all serving to
clog Up the legal machinery 20 such
remarkable degree that thinking lawyers
have reached the view with alarm"
stage.
It was TO correct this growing evil that
tho National Commission on Uniform
State Laws was created. The American
Bar Association has long stood for a sim
pliheatlon Of legal procedure, and was in
sUumental IN bringing about the organi-
zation Of the commission. II is COM
posed OF members from each State
which joins IN the movement-and all but
-FOUR or five OF the States have enlisted
IN The work. The members OF the com
mission get together and frame a model
law on a given subject When II Is
finally completed it Is not the half-baked
H. 'onsidered product so often turned out
by legislatures. Spt z complete, under
sts ndabie, and unmistakable exposition
OF the whole subject with which II DUR
ports 70 deal. In framing these laws the
commission is actuated by a desire to
make them so plain that not only the
even the most perverse capnot niscon-
strue II he would; so plain that no one
can even pretend 70 mistake their pro-
visions
That they have succeeded admirably in
doing so is shown by the experience Of
tne courts with the uniform negotiable
instruments law. This was the first one
framed by the commission, and has been
adopted by thirty-one States and four
Territories. A recent statement showed
that there we're not one-tenth IS many
cases finding their way % the courts. es-
pecially 10 the higher courts. as there
had been prior 10 the enactment Of the
law. IL Is related that when the meas
ure was pending IN the Michigan legis-
lature II came near being defeated In the
senate. the ground OF the fight against
II being that II was an intrusion on the
practice Of the legal profession. and that
II Il were 70 be passed the average man
would not need a lawyer to collect his
notes and bills. However, no one has
noticed that the Michigan lawyers wear
any especially starved look because the
legislature OF that State passed the meas
Ure.