Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-11
Is Unalterably Opposed.

Alexander H. Bell. former president OF
the bar association. member OF its
grievance committee. and who has been
practising in Washington for twenty-ilvo
years, declared that he Is unarterably
opposed to any change in the pre- sent sys-
tenn.
1.-The article i'm Yesterdays Star" Mr..
Bell said. sets forth the situation ex-
aetly. 1 see no reason why the tax
payers should pay for litigation with
which they are not concerned. and that is
what they would do If the audi ors f.
flee were pplaced on saiar, tasis
1T is very seldom salts aciory 1 pu.
professional man on salary a 3
Professional men on salary yers
have only a perfunctory interest iii n
matters before them l do not mean [
be sweepingly inclusive in that u il
is often the case that profe>siola in II
salary do not do as much WORK as
profes sional men OH fees do.
The position OF auditor REQUIRES II
lawyer. and a good one. The fees paid
the incumbent of the Office are GER
tainly not excessive have several
cases in mind with which ] have been
concerned. In one case, when The
amount OF property involved was SNAIL.
| asked the auditor To make the fee
small one, because Of that. and he
offered to make il nothing although
got him finally to accept a five-dollar
fee. In another ease. whore there was
property fund of only S.coo. the
auditor cautioned both myself and the
opposing counsel against expense. and
on his pert charged a small fee ~ that
the litieants could get as much as pos
sfble out of the case. These instances
show the attitude OF the present audi
tor. and ] see no reason for making
any change.
Mr.. Tobriner's Experience.
.I i,a,., tad ax,a.;o,o.. ,,;,a .a.os NO
ferent auditors in this Office" Leon To-
briner said. Il have had cases before
the predecessor of Mr.. PAYNE. before Mr..
Payne and before the incumbent With
all due respect to Mr. Payne and to his
predecessor, both of whom l held i'm high
regard. the Office of the auditor has never
been administered i'm such a thorough,
business-like manner as IL has been under
Mr.. Dent.
THE bar is accustomed to the present
procedure. Ii IL the only system that
can be successful in this Jurisdiction. be-
cause the business Is not sufficient To
maintain a number OF competent men.
Men who would be competent to I'LL
the position of auditor would not be consr
by a salary smaller than the
fees now are. The position, as every one
knows. requires a trained in;.n In ae-
and the law and. moreover, the
position is semi-judcial.
1.-The auditor in many ways practically
performs tine duties of a Judge. / think
he should he well paid. and l am opposed
to any change in the system"
Saws Office Is Expensive to Lawyers.
Walter c. Clephane. who disagrees with
his colleagues as to the desirability of a
change i'm the system OF paying the audi
tor takes his stand on the ground that
the office is an expensive one for lawyers.
Mr. Dent makes a splendid auditor"
he said He is as good an auditor as
IAN be obtained, but the system of fee
oayment makes litigation too expensive.
II think the Office should be put on
he same basis as the offices of the
Judges. / think the taxpayers of the Dis
.rict should pay for litigation I'm the
courts i'm all respects. and that they
should pay the auditors expense as they
)ay that of the judges