The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-11-26
.CAPECOUNTYBAR
ASSN. FIXES FEES
FOR ALLLAWYERS
Young Attorneys Say Prices
Made For Legal Services
STILES Competition.
NO CHANCE TO CUT
RATE, ONEAS SERTS
Frying-Sized Lawyers Declare
Monopoly is Depressing
With no Recourse.

Dld you KNOW, gentle reader, that
the lawyers Of Cape Girardeau County
maintained monopoly? Well, they
do, in spite of the fact that this city
has an epidemic of lawyers.
To become a member of the Bar As
ISOLATION of this county, it is neces-
sary for lawyer to pledge himself
not to underbid his fellow members.
He can charge as much as he likes,
but he cannot charge any less than the
amount specified in the schedule of
prices fixed by the Bar Association.
According to some of the rising
young attorneys Of this community,
this monopoly is operating in restraint
of trade and for the purpose of sitting
competition.
The moment an attorney is handed
his diploma and turned out of school,
he applies for membership in the Bar
Association of the county in which he
expects to hang out his shingle. When
admitted to membership, he is present
ed with a printed schedule of rates, in
Guiding fees for everything from OBJ
tanning divorces to defending horse
! thieves
The young attorney, armed with a
diploma and a craving to address a
jury, is placed at disadvantage by
this schedule of fixed rates. According
to a frying sized lawyer of this city,
if client calls upon a young graduate
to inquire what sort Of a fee he would
expect to defend divorce case, and
he quotes the fixed price, the client
comes back at him with this retort:
"Why. l can get real lawyer for
that"
The young lawyer is afraid to call
his visitor into the telephone booth
and offer to slash the price in half,
because there is always the danger
that the client might be a detective,
doing a little gum-shoe work for the
Bar Association.
The attorney, therefore, must give a
dissertation on criminal Jurisprudence
or recite "Curfew'' in order to Jar the
client away from the subject of fees.
A young lawyer, yesterday discuss
ing the schedule of fees with a repre-
sentative of The Tribune, admitted
confidentially that it had virtually
showed him out of the profession.
The schedule of fees follows:
ANY member of the bar, who shall
become a member of this association,
whether as a charter member or other
wise, shall be deemed to have assented
to the following schedule of fees and
shall be considered as bound in all re-
spects thereby:
l. For defending any person charg-
ed with crime which the death penalty
may be inflicted, $50.
Assistant counsel, 500.
2. All other felony cases, $50.
3. Misdemeanor cases in court of
record, contested, SIS.
Misdemeanor cases in court of rec
ord, uncontested, $3.50.
4. Divorce cases-when represent
ing husband, $25.
80. When representing wife and
no allowance of fee is made from hus-
band, $15.
6. No case shall be actually tried
in a court of record, except as other
wise provided, for less than S25.
I. No petition for order in Probate
Court shall be filed and prosecuted for
less than s..
8. No settlement shall be made in
Probate or County Court for less than
$3.50.
9. For all services in obtaining sale
of real estate to pay debts in Probate
Court, and for all services connected
with same, 5 per cent to be charged
on the first $500, 212 per cent on
amounts over $500, and in no case
shall less than SO be charged
10. No case shall be tried in the
Supreme Court or brief filed in said
court for less than $50.
II. No case shall! be tried or brief
filed in Court of Appeals for less than
$50.
II. For every case in the Justice
Court or County Court where there is
defense or appearance of opposite
party, SO.
13. All cases where defense is made
before Town or City courts in Cape
Girardeau County, $40.
IA. For filing suit in Justice of the.
Peace Court where no defense is made,
S..
Is. Collection Rates-where either
cash or security satisfactory to client
is obtained:
IN nay. cont nm oil Gums m S6