Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-05-04
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL.

Speaker Byrd to be assistant to
the attorney general at a salary of
$4,000 year was announced, The
Roanoke Times asked some cues
tions. Before undertaking to dis
cuss the matter we wanted the
facts. We asked how much such
services as the assistant Is suppos-
ed to perform have cost the State
heretofore; what it is Mr.. Byrd is
expected to do; what the attorney
general and his assistant are 10 da.
We have no official or direct
answer. The News-Leader. of
Richmond, gives the general public
some information apparently care
fully compiled. This is that the
cost of the State for extra counsel
fees In the twenty-four years from
1888 TO 1907, inclusive of, was an
average of 1854 a year. In 1905
the extra counsel fees amounted to
$4,000, but that was special case.
arising under the new constitution
and involving the defence of the
powers and rights of the State
corporation commission. 1t was
settled and closed and is not likely
TO be revived in any form.
The public was told that the new
assistant is expected to represent
all the public institutions OF the
State and TO conduct litigation for
them. The News-Leader prints
reports from the University of
Virginia, the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute, the Virginia Military
Institute and the three insane
asylums showing that their ex-
penses for litigation or matters in
which they employ counsel Average
less than $4,000 a year, all told.
This includes $1,000 a year paid
regularly by the university to
special retained counsel. Theleg
expenses of the other institutions
run from nothing a year to 5000.
Yet we are to save money by en-
ploying lawyer at $4,000 a year
to do the work. The figures do
not sustain the assurances.
The matter is fast assuming the
size of scandal. We do not want
it to be a scandal. The Roanoke
Times is not of those who delight
in exposing" ordenouncing public
officials. We always prefer TO
give ample time for explanation.
The explanation is that
man of Governor Mann's age.
experience and position in the
State would not do any public act
unless he was prepared TO give a
satisfactory explanation of it when
called on to explain and to defend
1T if it was attacked. So far there
has been no explanation, except in
the vaguest and most general
terms, and no defence. Many
newspapers, less careful than The
Roanoke Times, have assailed the
appointment bitterly and insinuat-
ed broadly. They say the appro-
priation of $4,000 to be available
to employ special counsel to assist
the attorney general was hurried
through at the last of the session
of the legislature; that those who
knew anything of it supposed il
would be kind of emergency
fund; that nobody suspected that
eight-tenths of it would be paid
To retain for two years special
lawyer for the State regardless of
whether his services are or are not
required. Under the law Mr.. |
Byrd could not hold the place if it
was an Office because he was a
member of the house, speaker of the !
house, that created it. NominaIIy.
however, he will not be an officer
of the State. He will take no oath
of Office and have no official status.
He will be paid $1,000 a year to
work on such matters as the attor- |
ney general may refer to him. So /
far as the public knows. he begins
the drawing of his salary with
nothing before him. So far as the
public knows he may continue to
draw his salary-or retaining fee
the whcletwo years without having ;
20 do srtoke of work.
That is the face of the case and |
IS not nice or a pretty face.
We insist that detailed and explicit !