The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-18
ATTORNEY WILEY ON REVISION

\ week ago today The Tribune. fore
casting the meeting of the Legislature
suggested that that body could 10 no
better service than to appoint n com
mission or commissions TO revise the
laws and make them consistent. We
pointed out that the laws arc now an
certain, that the courts have difficulty
in understanding precisely what the
lawmakers meant, and that 30 many
conflicting provisions appear that the
courts are often baffed in understand
ing precisely what they ought to do IN
the case before them. On Monday last
we repeated this suggestion and urged
the Legislature TO take up the matter
so that the commissions could be APP
pointed promptly and their work ap.
proved by the present Legislature,
In The Tribune yesterday morning
appeared County Attorney Willey's re-
port summarized, wherein hosmakes pre-
cisely the same recommendation as to
the criminal laws. except that he would
allow the commission two years in
which to perfect their work on the
criminal side OF the statutes. Mr.. Will
lev pointed ont precisely the same OBJ
jec:ions 10 Che laws as they are that
The Tribune had made, and urged pre-.
ciselv the same remedy. But he was
of the opinion. evidently, that the work
could not be done within the limit Of
time in which the present Legislature
has to act, and accordingly he would
LET the work Of revision proceed Tor the
ensuing two wears, and be reported to
the next Legislature.
Uc may be right in this. but We i'm.
agIne that commission composed of
himself and, say, two other attorneys
verscd IN the complications OF the Grim
insl statutes, could straighten out the
criminal laws within thirty days. Other
expert legal commissions could act upon
other parts Of the statutes, and the
whole body Of the laws could be revised
and approved by the present Legisla.
ture before it adiourus We believe in
dispatch in matters OF this kind. and iu
getting the quickest results compatible
with soundncss OF consideration
Thore is no doubt of the necessity
Of this work Mr.. Wiley is confronted
with the difficulties OF the situation ev-
cry time he takes up criminal ease
II is clearly the duty Of the Legislature
to provide remedy for the existing IN.
certainty, and as Mr.. Wiley points out,
ga Legislature would be confronted
with great many intricate consttu~
tional questions OF law if they attempt
ed to amend these laws
That is true saying, and that marks |
the lmpossibility Of the Legislature do.
ing the details OF this work itself Be. !
sides, the legislators would be busy with !
other and new legislation, so that be
sides the Incompetence OF many OF them |
to deal with questions as lawyers would |
deal with them. the idea Of the Lcpis |
lature doing this work itself is out of |
the question, 1t is necessary to have |
expert commissions TO do il, and VIC be. |
ileVe that a few Of such commissions. |
working diligently, could bring the laws |
INTO n consistent, com prehensiblc and |
Iawycr-likc revision before tho time of |
The present Legislature expires. With
commissions that could be fairly trust
ed, the Legislature would be safe in
adopting their recommendations in
mass. and we would have the revision
complete and scrviceable at once in
stead OF waiting two years TO get it.