The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-11
HENRY UPSON SIMS SUBMITS REPORT OF CENTRAL COUNCIL
Refers to 13 Cases Investi gated to Grind Out All Corruption Brought
 to Attention

Montgomery, July 1o.-Cspecial.)-Th it Is much harder for a young lawyer to- day to follow the ethical ideals of his profession than it was for lawyers of the past generation and that the present condition was brought about by the mad rush for money and honor was the state ment of Henry Upson Sims of Birming ham, who read the report of the central council to the state bar association at its initial session this morning.
 In these days of commercalism," said MT Sims in his report, when day working artisan with the support of his labor union can require of the public greater return for his time than one fourth of the Alabama bar, it may well be that more lawyers give way to the temptation to win a dollar by a short cut than ever before"
 Mr. Sims declared that the central council during the past year had tried to start the wheels of punishment to grind out all corruption which had been brought to their attention, and referred to B cases which the council had inves- tgated.
 MT. Sims Report
 Following is MT. Sims report:
 Your central council feels somewhat embarrassed to give for publication an account of the delinquencies of Alabama lawyers, because 1t is outside the field of our work to neutralize the effect of our delinquencies by reporting also upon The actions of the lawyers which de- serve emulation. But of late years lay men have made more than the wonted gibes at our uprightness as a class, so at the invitation of the secretary of this association the council have thought well or exposing annually the actual number AfA ,f.A brought to our notice against Alabama lawyers with a statement of the result of our examination
 It Is easy for the eager scandal mon- ger to spread the charge that large proportion of the bar are corrupt; and Tn these days of commercialism, when uay working artisan with the support of his labor union can require of the pub He greater return for his time than one- fourth of the Alabama bar, it may we'll be that more lawyers give way to the temptation to win a dollar by a short cut than ever before. But if all the cit 1zens of Alabama were seethed in melt Ing pot, those of the two best profess 'sions reserved to the last to give flavor }to the pottage. we have no hestancy to / say that one of those reserved classes would be the bar; and we are by no means certain whether the other would be the pulpit or the surgeons.
 But, serious, the central council has to report that the conditions of practice in Alabama-at least in the cities-is so completely changed from what it was even when We began practicing law. that it is much harder for young lawyer today to follow the ethical ideals of his profession than the older lawyers imagine. Amid tire public rush for money and the honor offered to those who show ability to make it. the young man equipped to pursue an in- i tellectual occupation like the law, stands no better than an employed ac- countant And as the distinction and success which should come to him right ly only after years of patient effort, can often be attained by disregarding ethics in winning a practice. most of the young lawyers enter the practice by way of the ambulance the run ner's desk. Nor do We see any prom ise of a remedy for it. so long as there Is limit to the number of lawyers, and public honor is heaped upon the lawyer on top, even though it be known that many of his clients have been won by other inducements than his ability to care for them.
 Tn short, your central council as it now stands has made no plans to solve an econmic condition, nor to restore the ethics of the profession to what we learn was its pristine grandeur. We have merely tried to start the wheels of punishment to grind out any real corruption which we have found and our searches for it have not been linn ited, either, to complaints which have been made to us
 Twelve Cases Considered
 During the past year we have taken up F cases, of which two were on our own motion. Of these 12, two resulted in reprimand by the council, although the council did not think proceedings for susz pension or disbarmant should be brought; three ended in justification by the ac- cused; four fell out from lack of evidence, and three ended in the determination to present charges. Two of these last three att tLsed lawyers then surrendered their license, and against the third charges are now in the solicitors hands.
 Moreover a thirteenth case was not acted upon by the council, because it was based upon the lawyer having secured lis license under misrepresentation, and his case had been called to the attention of the proper authorities.
 'Firally we will say that the law under which we act needs some few changes as heretofore already pointed out in the re- port of 1912, and if the legislature will give us those and perhaps other small remedial assistance, we believe our authority for disbarment is unsurpassed in the United States.
 The council for the past year con sisted of Messrs. z. T. Rudulph and Ed ward D. Smith of Birmingham, w. P Wacker of Anniston, W. l.. Pitts of uniontown and the undersigned
 HENRY UPSON SIMS"
 -s-
 AT CT0N,O AnnDECC