Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-11
Five Lawyers Prefer Fee Sys-
tenn in Compromising Su-
preme Court Auditor.
ONE ADVOCATES SALARY
ON GROUNDS OF ECONOMY
Discussion Of Report That Investiga-
ton by Congress May Result
in New Method.

or six Washington lawyers interviewed
today by reporter for The Star on the
proposal to change the present fee sys-
TEN of paying the auditor of the SUI
preme Court of the District TO a salary
system, five are opposed to such a
change. They are William Il. Ambrose.
John Il. Larner. Henry II. Blair. Alex
ander II. Bell and Leon Tobriner.
The sixth attorney. Walter c. Clephane,
thinks the Office should be placed ON a
salary basis. similar to that OF the Judges.
and that the taxpayers of the District
should bear the expense OF il, instead
OF the litigants paying the auditors fees.
as Is done at present.
Following a report that Chairman
Johnson of the House District COMMITTEES
intends to bring about il possible, az
investigation by Congress of the respec-
tive merits Of the fee and salary systems
of paying the auditor. on the ground that
his fees constitute too large an emolu-
ment. the subject continued today to be
one OF general conversation i'm legal cir
cles. One lawyer made the point that the
discussion draws attention to a belief thar
the judges are not sufficiently paid. COM
pared with the $4,000 in fees which the
auditor receives some years: but. lie
added, the discussion also shows that tho
auditor does. perhaps, much more detail
work than any of the judges. inasinuch A.
he is assistant to a number of them.
No Reason for Change.
Il sec no reason for making the sug-
gested change. Henry p. Blair said.
1.-THE present fee system has worked very
satisfactorily. The occupants of the
auditors Office have been lawyers OF
conspicuous ability. They are entirely
Too fban ha,.
the position and must decide questions OF
the highest importance. The office should
! be made attractive to them. as they are
| i'm advisory capacity To the courts The
| position requires undoubted ability anu
| learning. and SO far as my practice Is
| concerned l have never had any reason
to comp ain of the fee System.
| IL have had a great many cases before
the auditors Office John Il. larner said
II have never had any reason TO COM
plain of the fee system and my fees at
| that Office have always been most reason
able"
II did at one time entertain the idea
! of having special auditors for each case
to divide the practice. i'm other words.
among the lawyers Of the city; but
abandoned it because IL would not
work out. l think. to have the auditors
| interested in private practice. The
working of the fee system has been
| highly satisfactory to me, and I have
| had good many cases before the
auditors office, too"
| William F. Ambrose declared that the
auditors office has never been better
managed during his eighteen years OF
practice at the bar than it is now
conducted.
From the character of the work in
volved." Air. Ambrose said. II do not
see how the Office could very well be
placed on salary basis. The auditor
must have the incest legal knowledge
and he must also have accounting abil-
| ity. j am pretty certain that IL we
should destroy the present system OF
| the office we would destroy its USE
fulness to lawyers