New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-17
CHOATE MAKES APPEAL
Sorry Carnegie Can't Hear
Legal Aid SOCiety'S Needs.
ONE, A PERMANENT HOME
Justice Bowling Reviews His.
tory Of Work--President
Won Briesen Speaks.

If Andrew Carnegie had come 10 the
dinner OF the Legal Aid Societies Of the
United States. at the Waldorf Astoria
last night. he would have been asked
right out in public for a building n
house in permanent quarters fitting rs
dignity the Legal Aid Society of New
York City. Joseph H. Choate, speaking
on the Lawyers Service to Humanity.n
said. at least, that it had been his inten.
ton, when he learned that Mr.. Carnegie
was to be present, to lay sorre such pro.
posal before him. Mr.. Carnegie was net
present, but that did not prevent Mr..
Choate from expressing the idea.
I am sorry that Mr.. Carnegie 10 not
here Tonight" said Mr. Choate when
/ agreed to come, it was with the under.
standing that Mr.. Carnegie was to 90
here. / should have liked to lay before
him the need Of this society for a bousa
Of It's own. II needs a permanent home.
II fiourishes on deficits-they say that al,
charitable societies have those, but our
president, Mr.. Won Briesen, objects to thl,
being called a charitable society. so II
ought not, therefore, to have deficit.
1T is liable TO be thrust out in the cold
any time by short frost-or by too pro.
gressive steps" he added, turning, amid
a, laugh, TO oscar S. straus, who sat on
his left. But even If Mr.. Carnegie Ia
not here, 1 shall do all / can TO induce
any friend of mine who is able, to put I'D
home for the society az once"
Mr.. Choate took another sly thrust at
Mr.. Straus during the course of his re.
marks, when he spoke about bosses.
Louis Windmuller, our treasurer, told
me to speak tonight" he said He Ia
my boss. When he tells me to come to
dinner / come; when he tells me to
speak I speak, and when he tells me 10
pay l pay. And IL Mr. Straus will allov
me to say word in favor Of a boss, de.
spite the fact that he has been denounc,ns
bosses without discrimination for three or
four months, want to say that word for
Mr. Windmuler.
mfr. Windmuller, my boss. told me 70
speak on the subject The Lawyers Ser
vice to Humanity That IS a big and
ponderous subject that I cannot cover in
ten-minute speech. could not cover
the services Of lawyers to humanity IN
the four hundred speeches Mr. STRAINS
MADE during the regent campaign. To
cover that subject all that is necessary
for me to do is 10 tell the life of our
nj Af-f hrf.s
Justice Victor j. Downing presided az
POSTMASTER and in his Introductory 70.
marks, spoke OF the history and pas,
work Of the Legal Aid Society Of New
York
Since the society was formed. IN 1875
as the German Legal Aid Society" he
said, 1T has aided 10000 clients and re.
covered for them over 100000. This may
not mean so much in these days of great
lawyers and corporations, but when II is
considered that this work has been done
in behalf OF poor clients unable 70 help
themselves its good cannot be overesti-
mated. 1t originally started to help Ger
mans, newly come to this country. igno-
rant OF our laws, but now by far the
greater number OF clients assisted are ma.
tive born"
Justice Bowling introduced as the irst
speaker Arthur Won Briesen. who has
been president OF the society twenty-five
years, briefly sketching the greatness OF
his services I'm that capacity. Mr. Won
Briesen spoke on 1.-THE Future" Of the
society.
I'm the near future" said Mr.. Won
Briesen, mo country will be called civi-
Liked unless 1t has its system Of legal aid
societies, just as we have Il in the United
States. Although the Legislature Of the
State of New York one year voted $4,000
for the use OF the society, every officer
said he would resign II one penny OF pub
lie money was accepted.
But we ask private a,d in order 20 see
that the poor man shall enjoy Justice.
Anarchists are created by the idea that
the wealthy can hire great lawyers TO
procure them Justice, while the poor man
cannot. We ask you 10 ostraciss the
mean man, the loan shark and the man
who is slow pay"
There were about one hundred and sew
enty guests at the dinner, which was held
IN the Aston Gallery at the Waldorf.
Other speakers were Mrs. Richard
Aldrich, on Justice, the Paramount Viz
tue," and Rudolph Matz, on Right BE-
fore Might"