The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-11-20
FAT SALARIES PAID
THE STATE LAWYERS

amount OF money spent annually by
the State of Maryland in fixed coun-
seships and in special fees to law
yers. The salaries paid counsel by
the more important departments and
offices may be ascertained easily, but
there are various minor State offices,
departments or institutions that pay
counsel fees regularly or for special
services. the details of which it is
practically impossible to learn. The
State has no system of uniform ac-
counting by which all such payments
would be shown in the same way in all
reports; nor has it a central account
ing agency for the analysis of the
expenditures of the departments.
But although no one knows what
the cost of the States legal business
is. everyone who has been in touch
with State affairs knows that it has
cost far too much. The waste has
been appreciated and discussed for
years. In 1912 the Legislature sub
mite dto the people an amendment to
the State Constitution giving author
ity for creation of a State legal de-
partment under charge of the Attor-
nev-General, in which all the legal
affairs of the State would be concen-
trated.
The amendment was adopted in the
fall of 1913, but the Legislature of
1914. for reasons best known to its
leaders, failed to enact legislation
necessary to carry out the intent of
the constitutional amendment. An
other opportunity to bring about this
reform will be offered next winter.
The people should insist upon it.
These Are The Counselships.
The list of counselschips that are
known is as follows.
Automobile Commissioner-Dav
NJ. Newbold, Jr., counsel, $500.
Bank Commissioner-For mer State
Senator Clarence w. Perkins, counsel,
$500
State Board of William
Pinkney Whyte, counsel, $1,000, and
former State Senator Henry M. Nc
Cullough, special counsel, $1,000.
State Roads Commission-Leon E.
Greenbaum. counsel. $4,000.
Insurance Commissioner-ArthurD
Foster, counsel, 1000.
State Tax Commission-StateS ena-
tor Edward NJ. Hammond, counsel,
$4,000.
State Industrial Accident Commits
sion-J. Walter Lord, counsel, $500.
Public Service Commission-Wil-
liam Cabell Bruce, general counsel,
$4,000, and Osborne L. Gellott, peo-
pies counsel. $4,000.
Board of Police Commissioners
Robert F. Stanton, counsel, $4,000.
Board of Liquor License Commits
sioLers-George W. Cameron, coun-
sci. 81 900.
Board of Election Supervisors
Enos s. Stockbridge, counsel, $1,000.
Sheriff of Baltimore City-James
B. Guyton. counsel, $500.
Two Give Entire Time.
It should be stated here that the
counsel to the Public Service Com
mission have been included in the list
for the sake of the nearest possible
completeness of record. 1t is very
much to be doubted whether it would
be wise to abolish the legal depart
ment of this commission, if State
legal department We're instituted.
Mr.. Bruce. the general counsel,
gives his entire time to his duties and
is almost constantly engaged in the
preparation or trial of the very i'm
portant cases in which the commits
son'S decisions are tested; and Mr..
Nclott. the peoples counsel, is entire
ly engaged in the big Investigations,
such as those into the Chesapeake and
Potomoke Telephone Company and the
United Railways and Electric Com
pany
1t is difficult to see how money could
be saved or efficiency promoted at this
time by giving the legal work of the
commission to department under the
Attornev-General; few years from
now, when the big Investigations!
work of the commission is completed
and the original legal questions as to
its powers. jurisdiction. etc, nave
been settled by the courts, it may be
feasible to abolish the commissions
legal department.
Most Are Greatly Overpaid.
The work now done by the other
counsel could be handled more cheap
~ and more efficiently by State legal
department. There is not single one
q the counsel, other than those to the
Public Service Commission, VINO de-
votes his entire time to his duties,
and most of them are rarely seen
aOOut the OltlceS winch empty 'iieii'
Taken at large, they are the most
overpaid set of lawyers in the state.
Consider the case of Mr.. McCul-
Tough. the special counsel to the State
Board of Health. There was no rea-
son in the world why he should have
been appointed except the political
reason Mr.. Whyte, the regular coun,,
sci to the board, has been employed
for a number of years and has mani
tested sincere interest in his work.
He has been devoted to his duties--ha has
been one of the counsel who worked
and is said to be the best informed
lawyer in the city on sanitary law.
Mr.. MCCULLOUGH was appointed as
Especial counsel but when the State
Board of Health became involved in
litigation recently, the Especial coun-
sci" did not assume the burden; Isaac
Lobe Straus was called in and was
paid fee of $500 or so for his work.
1t is not meant to reflect in the
slightest degree upon Mr.. McCul-
lough's legal ability; on the contrary,
Al