Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-11-10
Wal-adminiStrati0u Of Laws.


invitation delivered recently a re-
malkablc address before the Ada
county, IGaho. Bar Association. on
The sunn - If Lawyers from Lay
uan POINT of View One OF the
Spokane IaperS asserts nr. Bal
da.,-on gave the lawyers OF The
above county such a jolt or that oc-
casi0n that they are still taking
abou. his discourse. Quoting from
the Spokane paper: Mr.. 3a!der-
ston practically branded the Legal
profession as beirg The cause OF the
miscarriage Of justice - =
Mr.. Balderston went through the
catalogue Of . lawyers sins and when
lie got through there was nothing
lcft so do But rub salt into the hide
and c,ose The barn-door on which it
had Laen nailed" --.......-..
# SHOULD be understood, Mr.. Bal
derston was for many years a news
~papcr. man.. claimed he bad been
practically acquainted with all the
lawyers OF Boise for the past twenty
years. Lawyer Nugent. of that city.
tod the speaker a that much OF the
laws delay was due to the news
papers" 80
- said lawyers band together to
r Get members OF the profession.
whether right or wrong, while in
other callings crooked members are
expelled from the organizations to
which they belong. The crooks
can 60 right ahead with their trick
cry without-fear.o of scensure By the
fellow members OF the legal PROBES
sion. Large estates are eaten up
by exorbitant attorney, administra.
tor and executor fees.
again quoting: He exposed the
delays and other abuses of civil pro-
cedure, and said a system should be
established under which q cause
could be finally disposed of within a
few months. after fling the COM
plant. It's
There have been some aggravated
Instances called to the attention
Of the Washington Bar Association
which failed to act and the persons
incnlpated 60 right along as if moth
ing had ever happened. practicinG
their profession. Such omissions
bring discredit upon the worthy
members of the bar who complain
but find themselves powerless to ac'
against manifested and stolid con
servatism.
In Pierce county and doubtless II
other localities, abuses have beer
discovered 10 divorce litigation. Fol
instance, a man sues his wife for di
vorce, alleging desertion as the
ground. obtains service by, publica
ton, she beingaa nonresident til
affidavit states her postoffice address
in order to obtain the service Of pro
cess She may never intend to com,
into this State or make any defense
some curbstone lawyer finds out he1
address from the court records, thel
confers with her by letter, comes be
fore the court with the application
for temporary alimony., suit none.
and attorneys fees. When the Law
yer has received all the money b
expects to obtain, allows judgmen
to be taken against his client on con
dition he be provided for.
Another practice has developed
which is still more pernicious.
lawyer finds q woman who has &C
casion to discover some slight faul
in her husband 8 conduct, the attor
ney causes her dissatisfaction to be
come augmented. then brings q sui
ia her name for a divorce against tn
husband, the lawyer coming befor
the court soon after the complaint
fled; with an application, for attor
ney's fees and temporary allowance
The.court usually grants the appli
cation in some shape, not wishing +
PREJUDICE the merits, but inwardl
feeling an imposition is sought to b
perpetrated lipon the adversa party
and the court is used as an ipstru
.ment to inflict the wrong.
The Pierce county judges hax
furnished the example by setting
down s.pratty, hard. upon these tea
lures. Of divorce litigation. Othe
judges in this State VIII. ID all likeli
hoods follow suit, and not PERM
such scandal ito contaminate : tt
judicial eepine.s ..l
President Taft. in a recent address
before the Chicago Bar Association
a:tcppting to maintain his position
atainst the recall Of the judiciary
i. besoqght the members of the bar t
use their influence and talents in tn
promotion of measures that will tent
To eliminate the cause for the in
creasing distrust of the judiciary
He said justice ought to be fairly ant
speedily administered in the Ecourt
without delay; intimated in rather
foreib,e language that lawyers as I
b,@ir are largely responsible for thes.
delays obtained frequently on tech
meal and unmerited grounds which
have become scandal upon the pro
ftssion, which is judged by the pub
a.