The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-03


 The need for what has been aptly termed ia socialized jurtsprudence' has led to the formation in recent years Of several courts Of more or less nm1ute functions. The Juvenile court and the domestic relations court are ! instances of this tendency. No less unique is the Consolidation Court which has been established as q branch Of the municipal court of Cleveland.
 The Concilaton Court has been in operation since March, 1913. and has met with general favor and marked success It has already disposed of 5ssA cases out of 61s4 lled,> and the fee has usually been 26 cents, never moe than 45 cents. The small fee does not Of course cover the actual cost Of the proceedings The theory was held In framing the bill of costs that . municipal court n1inistering to all classes should not attempt to meet Its expense by the collection of fee and ines.
 1 Helping Idtaga1zts Without Lawyer.
 All this has been accomplished l through a procedure instituted by Judge Manuel Levine. Fifteen years ago he came to this country from Russi ia-a Jewish immigrant boy of seventeen-and got his start in the English classes at Hiram House. one of CleveIands social settlements.
 When the Cleveland Municipal Court Act was framed provision was made for the litgank who was unable to se- cure the services of lawyer. A clerk was to be desi enated to assist parties in prepaning and filing papers incident to their suit and to advise and assist when ever possible in bring volving small amounts of money. The chief Justice selected for this post a man with legal training. long ex- pertence In court business. and a tenn perament suited to- the exacting re- qu1rements of the work.
 It did not take long for the knowl- edge Of this means Of assistance to become known throughout the city and hundreds brought in their real or. fancted grievances Many were gven sound advice which resulted in the adjustment of the difference with out further intervention Often the clerk acted as mediator and suc- ceeded in bringing about a settIe@ ment. When mediation failed he as-. sisted in bringing a suit in the reg twelve hundred cases were thus settled out of court. No record was made of the masses in which advice and assist ance were givens but no doubt the number was many times twsslxe hun , dred- All of the services of this der p&EkuGLCz are LE6Gs
 Conedlitakion Court Crested
 The work thus favorabIy begun led to the fornation of the Consolidation branch of the court The object in view was not only to relieve the court Of much mconseQuentiaI lee5sIation but to provide. simple ana inexpen- sive means for the settlement of small civil suits. Cases which formerly had zone to make the cntef business of the 1<,r yer. The wide powers of the rr1n1id4 cipaI court enabled the Judges to ea- tablish this bra ranch without any leg islattve enactment but by rule of the court; the same. procedure as when tn Chicago curt of domestic re- la.tionH was created
 All claims under $5ps00, all eases of attachment and garnishn1ent involv- ing less than $50s00, and all cases Of replevin are entered upon the Con cfliatton docket. The defendant is then notified by registered mail of the claim and of the day set for the hear- ing of the case It may be Of Inter- est to note here that all writs or the Cleveland municipal court are served by registered mail instead of the old
 and expensive method of personal service by censtables
 Simple Methods.
 One of the regular judges of the --N@-'- to the Conctlia ton branch. The par ties to each suit are brought befor | the Judge. LaWyers are not allowed to represent the parties and no set procedure is required The judge | by question and suggestion seeks to elicit the point at issue. While no controversy is permitted to be drawn out at length, each party is allowed to state his case in his own way It 1 was remarked by one of the Judges that this permission to an ordinary lftigant to have his say'' has a marked psych ological efrect. Hef feels
 that even though the decision may ' have gone against him, he has not
 been restricted by rules. the meaning and significance of which Is not aI- ways apparent. When the essential facts are
 brought out the judge is required by the rules 'sto seek to effect an anica-
 bIe adjustment of the differences be-
 tween the parties to the suit :; As
 a matter of fact he usually secures
 their consent to decide it himself. | When his Judgment is thus entered,
 all the power of the state Is behind the decision.
 The whole atmosphere of this court I differs from that of the ordinary law tribunal There is more quiet, more l-simphcity, less of the spirit of con- l htct- The facts are not aired to the court hangerz-on, for both parties are in close co1nmuni cation with the 1 Judge. Edtde is ever offered as evI- dence except an occasi ona1 rne moran | dun or account book. As infinite g variety of cases comes to light as the 1 life of a great city sis compiexa
 trunk heIdefor an unpaid board bill. I or bills unpaid with counter claims of services i'll done--grievances petty 1T I the view Of the ordinary court, but serious to those concerned.
 Case of the Burnt Mattress.