The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-10

Total .$3i. ioo, 900
Who are the men that are earning the
big fees? Almost every lawyer in town
had different list. a Supreme Court
Justice declared that there are not ten
lawyers in New York who are making
as much as 100000 a year. In an effort |
TO ascertain how this expenditure COM |
pared with the cost OF some staple, Will |
lam Grant Brown, who in addition To-
being an attorney is an authority on
milk, was consulted.
"Forty-three thousand cans of milk
containing forty quarts are bought In
New York every day, costing little less
than four cents a quart" said Mr..
Brown. Thus the cost Of bringing the
milk to New York every year is some
thing like s25114,0o0."
These figures indicate that the money
wasted in law fees would almost provide
the entire city OF New York with milk
for eight NOTWITHSTANDING the estimate
given above as accurate.
Nobody can realize" said Mr.. Brown,
"the sums of money that are wasted in
Few York in legal fees through the mis-
takes OF lawyers. A very small matter
that would ordinarily cost client
small sum is sometimes SO complicated
that the client may spend a small for
tune before he can be on the same foot
Ing as before he became enmeshed in
the law.
This Is why 1t Is essential that the
character Of a man admitted to the bar
should be high and why the reforms
should be going on to simplify justice
and the means of obtaining it, 1t would
be unfair to the lawyers however. Of
New York to discuss the amount Of
money spent and the amount wasted
without calling attention to the differ
cree between the gross and the net
income.
1.-THE expenses of n law Office are very
great To earn $1,000 year it is nee
essary to spend $4,000. Many a man
who Is reputed to have a large income
has really small income because of
the heavy expenses.
after every change in the admins
tration Of the city We learn something
from the men who become applicants
for the legal positions in the municipal
government. There are men to-day re-
puted to be earning from 100000 to
$4,000 a year who are fairly battering
down the walls OF the Corporation Coun-
sells office in an endeavor to obtain one
Of the $1,000 assistant Positions.
When it came to finding who had re-
ceived the famous fees there was equal
reticence among those who actually
knew, although it Is generally admitted
that the highest fees ever paid in New
York are those paid within recent years.
It Is commonly reported that William
Nelson Cromwell received a million dol
lar fee for services to the stockholders
Of the old Panama Canal Company.
James b. Dill was said To have received
the fee OF 81 900. 900 for his services in
connection with the Andrew Carnegie
Henry G. Frick agreement In Pittsburg
but Il was commonly supposed that both
parties contributed to this fee. But in
cases in which very large fees are paid
II Is to be presumed that the lawyer re-
ceiving the fee has others in his employ
who must be compensated for their as
sistant labors. w. d. Guthrie Is said to
have received a million dollar fee in the
Ifant will case
The Northern Sec urites case was an
expensive piece Of litigation, in which IA
million dollars, II l. said. was spent for
lawyers. The Hartman lawyers, John
r. Dillon, Il. V. Lindabury, w, d. Guth-
RE. r. s. Lovett, cambridge Colby and
Maxwell Evarts, are reported to have
received 100000. while John c. John