Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-10
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 TIVE ty-five
years, declared that he is una terably
opposed to any change in the present sys-
tenn.
The article in yesterdays star" Mr..
Bell said, sets forth the situation ex-
actly. / see no reason why the tax
payers should pay for litigation with
which they are not concerned. and that is
what they would do IL the auditors Cf-
fee were pplaced on a salary basis
1T Is very seldom satisfactory pu-
professional man OIL salary 4 =
Professional men on salary vet ei
have only & perfuncsory interest III IL
matters before them I do not .se IA [ >
be sweepingiy Inclusive in iha! j.,
Is often the case that professional m
on salary do not do as much work as
professional men on fees do.
The position of auditor REQUIRES a.
lawyer. and 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 small,
l asked the auditor to make the fee
q small one. because of that. and he
offered to make 1t nothing although
J got him finally to accept five-dollar
fee. In another case. where there was
property fund of only S,.tG0 the
auditor cautioned both myself and tho
opposing counsel against expense, and
on his part charged a small fee. 70 that
the litlgants could get much as pos
sible 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.
sT box,a t,gs1 av,rartov,,o ,.att .h-ox ate
ferent auditors in this office.' Leon To-
briner said. II 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 ! held in high
regard. the office of the auditor has never
been administered In such thorough.
hpsiness-like manner as II has been under
Mr.. Dent.
The bar is accustomed to the present
procedure. II Is the only system that
can be successful in this jurisdiction, be-
cause the business is not sufficient TO
maintain number OF competent men.
Men vino would be competent 70 I'LL
the position of auditor would not be conf
by a salary smaller than the
fees now are. The position. as every one
knows requires q trained man in ae-
counting and the Law. and, moreover, the
position is semi-judit:ial.
Tho auditor i'm many ways practically
pefforms the duties Of a judge. I think
he should be well paid. and l am opposed
fo any change in the system
say vs. Once Is Expensive to Lawyers.
Walter g. CleIhane. who disagrees with
his colleagues as to the desirability of a
change in the system OF paying the audi
tor, takes his stand on the ground that
the Office Is an expensive one for lawyers
MIR. Dent makes a splendid auditor"
he said. He is as good an auditor as
IAN be obtained. but the system of fee
payment makes litigation too expensive.
IL think the Office should be put on
the same basis as the Offices of the
Judges. 1 think the taxpayers of the Dis =
Irict should pay for litigation in the
courts in all respects, and that they
should pay the auditors expense as they
BAY that of the judges