Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-03
American Bar Association
by CHARLES S. EIGUTTER-

The American Bar association has
Just closed its thirty-eighth annual
session at Chicago, after a week OF
strenuous business. More than 1000
delegates from every state and ter
ritory and the colonies were in evil
dcnce. Nebraska was represented by
twenty-six delegates, including Su-
preme Court Judges Letton and Nor
risey and Dean William G. Hastings
of the Nebraska Law school,
Ex-senator Elihu Root Of New York
and former secretary Of state as
president of the association, opened
the session. His address, Public
Service by the Bar" had a greater
significance As public document than
message to lawyers only. Within
its lines can be read the opinion OF
this statesman of the after-effect of
the war upon America in the world
wide competition which must follow.
The keynote of his speech was. that
Americans, after the war, in order to
hold their place in the new adjust
ment of the world competition, must
increase their efficiency and conserve
their powers. In the worlds work
4keener competition in all economic
activities Of human endeavor will
come. The warning nations return
ing to peaceful competition Of produc-
ton and commerce will have vastly
increased power to compete. And the
necessity to repair the enormous
waste and to supply the pressing de-
mands will be spurred by their train
ing of hardship and sacrifice.
There must be change of the in
dividual attitude toward the govern
nent Of trying to get something out
Of the country and in trying to shirk
the responsibility to serve it. Our
minds have been filled with the as
sertion of our rights and we have
thought too little Of our duty. Ma.
tional strength requires the spirit of
solidarity among the people OF the
nation. Sectional or class misunder-
standing and hatred or dislike are ele-
ments Of vital weakness. To be strong
nations citizenship must be title
to friendship and kindly interest
among all her citizens, where the
people will be one for all and all for
one. The rights and privileges, the
property and liberty and life Of every
American, whether he be at home or
in Mexico or in the far east, on land
or sea, are our concern and the con-
Germ of each of US.
The test OF efficiency as applied to
the lawyers business shows that
there is no country in the world in
which the doing Of justice is bur-
dened by such heavy overhead
charges. The delays of litigation, the
badly adjusted machinery Of admins
tration and the technicality Of proceed
ure cause enormous waste The product
Is disproportionate to the plant and
the working force. The ease with
which admission to the bar is secured
in many jurisdictions has crowded the
bar with more lawyers than are neces-
sary to do the business. If the law
yer's business were conducted like
the business of any great industrial
plant which is striving for highest eff
'fciency at least cost, a considerable
percentage Of the $4,000 practicing
lawyers would be discharged.
At the closing session, Senator
George Sutherland of Utah was
elected president Of the association,
and Saratoga, N. Y, was the general
preference for the, meeting for 1917.
The Nebraska officers elected are
Frank M. Hall of Lincoln, vice presi-
dent for Nebraska; Matthew A. Hall
of Omaha, member Of the general
committee; Charles S. Elgutter and
William c. Fraser of Omaha, Judge
Ernest B.. Perry of Cambridge and
Judge William E. Stewart of Lincoln,
members of the local council.
Nebraska lawyers have been inti-
mately identified with the American
Bar association. The relationship as
sufned prominence when James E.
Woolworth of Omaha was elected its
nineteenth president in 1896, and the
fellowship was welded all the strong
er with the succession of Charles F.
Henderson, also of Omaha, as its
tWenty-second president. Mention
also must be made of Frederick w.
Lehman, president of the associa-
ton in 1908, although credited to St.
Louis, was reared in Nebraska City,
where he first hung out his single.
It is not recorded that any other
state, with the possible exception Of
New York, drafted from its distin-
guished lawyers three presidents for
this venerable organization. And it
was on the cards of the association
to have selected another Omaha law
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