South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-06
CATCHES UP WITH
COURTS DECISION
Present incumbent Clears Up
Back Work and Gets Re-
ports in Shape for LAWYERS
in Good Season.
By Lew Enlncham

] iNDlANAPOLIS. Feb 6-Ffere is a
story of democratic official eaiciercv
that was never told before. one or
the very important departments in
\ the state house and one about which
the general public has but scant
knowledge, is the office OF the re-
porter of the supreme and appellate
courts. All lawyers are. Of course
IdHllilar with the general purpose
Whlch that Office serves. and VET MANY
oI 1hat profession do not realize the
magnitude of the work connecte1
WIN inc publication of the court re-
PoI1s. Generally speaking. il Is the
| uulS OF lhe reporters office 90 receive
'nT opIhions or the supreme and ap-
( Pell;lte courts which are handed down
IN typewriter manuscript and SEQ
I 70 tnelr printing and publication ian
the sheep-bOund volumes commonly
seen IN any of the more pretentfous
law Offices OF the state
however. this general statement in
NoiEes vast amount of detail work
such as the veriication OF am author
ltles cited hN the court and the inser-
loh OF parallel citations the prepara-
uon of the SNllabi or headnotes 10
each case reported. the table of cases
reported, the table of cases and text
books cited. the indeN. the reading
"Hd CORRECTION of the printers proof
ahd many other thing thai only those
FAMILIAR with The processes of boois
publication can appreciate Vow that
the reader has some idea or the ma
ture of the reporters duties. IL will
perhaps Dc interesting go know some
lhlhS OF the work accomplished by
the present incumb bent of that Office.
from The standpoint OF it's efficiency
and value 10 the public
On Jan. la. 1919 when the pres
eht reporter took office. the manu-
script for Vol 116 or the supreme
court repo"ts and portion of that
OF the 49th appellate had been pre-
pared for the printer This means
that the Office was Tar behind ths
courts. The finished volume l76 was
delivered on June p. 1913. and the
last opinion reported it in was hand
ed down NOvemhe J. 1911. and the
last opinion reported in it was hand
which was delivered on Feb. s. 1913
was handed down Nov "a 1871 Dur
ing the year 1912 there had beer
completed and delivered two volumes
OF suprme and one OF appellate court
reports. From Jan I3 1913 to the
present. Mr.. Zoerchcr has TO his
credit 10 vOlumes-four supreme anC
SIN actually delivered. one
volume ready for the bindery and
that viii be delivered in "A few days
and one volume now almost vhoIls
IN type This comparison in way
shows the value OF the public service
being rendered by the present report
er OF the supreme and appellate
courts. 1t is value great not only
TO lawyers. but to everybody The
public may know that Id Is eettinr
luI value FOR every cent that the re-
pOrter's Office is costing In this con
nection II IS important 10 note that
the work credited TO the present re-
porter has been accomplished az
saving of several hundred dollars
through the reduction OF the num-
Der Of employees in the office during
portion of the time
The foregoing statement shows the
volume or the work accomplished
durI.g the last two years Vow as %
the progress that has been made in
reducing the distance between the
work Of that office and that OF the
courts The last case in volume 55
OF the appellate reports which is now
practically all in type was decided
in April, 1919 while volume Isl OF
the supreme court. which is 10 be
delivered in "A Few days. completes
the cases decided by that court to
and including May p. 1915 All this
gain has been accomplished notwith-
standing the courts have increased
the volume OF their work As illus
trative OF this increase 10 Is pointed
ort that during 1914 the supreme
court disposed of 3S5 cases as against
a total Of 266 disroseT OF by the same
cO~rt in 1910
Have Best system
Aside from the great volume or
work accomplished by this Office the
public is 10 be congratulated that In
diana now has the best system OF
state reports published both from the
standpoint OF workmanship and utii-
ity- All cases now reported. in addi-
tion tG exhaustive and reliable syliabi
are thoroughly annoated. thus open
ing To the lawyer the avenue 20 AT
the American and English law upon
every isoint in the case. This IS a
feature that should appeal 20 every
lawyer With the present high stand
ard OF the reports and the rapidity
with which they are being published.
the lawyer who Drides himself on cit-
ing cases that may De absolutely re-
lied upon viii most assuredly equip
himself with the official state reports.
Mr.. Z0ercher during his incumbency
has the commentator and praises %