Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-30
mo MANY LAWYERS,
ROOT TELLSBAR BODY;
GUST UNFIT, HE URGES
n.oot Economic Waste in Ad-
= rninistration of Justice, He
Says; Flags Cumbersome
Machinery in Chicago
Speech
p1EA FOR EFFICIENCY

.+,tcAGo. Aug. 30.--President Ellhu
"a the American Bar Association,
Wss.d for a wedding out of the unneces-
pn.r and incompetent among the $4,000
y..rs ay In the United States in his annual
lssrsss at the opening Of the meeting of
"a organization here today.
ins, ~, Is true of the American people gem
.i,vn said Mr.. Root, that too many of
Nbsvs been trying to get something out
y she country and too few of us have been
fying to serve IT,
N55ss,nR his plea for efficiency In the adj
z,o,s,ration Of the law upon the statement
sr ~ ,ve must get down to brass tacks in
NJ VI our affairs if we're going to keep pace
~ Is,s Europe after the war, Mr.. Root fsyed
Wy w ocun1bersome machinery of Justice" and
,,sd upon the lawyers to forget their
ss.bness and give the country little
s,,,ce not only In law administration, but
I. law making. He said that as rule only
~ y. youngest and least experienced lawyers
Y. into our lawmaking bodies, local. State
"a national. Concerning the law and
levers, Mr. Root said in part:
.rrhere Is great economic waste In the
.ar,tnlstratIon of the law in State and
ssion, we spend vast sums building court
tSrses. paying judges, clerks and others
"a the product in justice is dispropor-
,onate to the plant and working force.
rssre ia no country in the world where tho
y
svsrhead charges, 1t all causes an enormous
~ssts OF time on the part of witnesses,
Iury panel and parties.
,srhe ease with which admission to the
=, ia secured in many jurisdictions and the
sl,raoton Of career which affords liv-
~ without manual labor has crowded the
- ,rith more lawyers than are necessary.
NJ ne $4,000 lawyers in the United States
: vary considerable part are not needed.
n mat business were conducted like the
sadness of any great Industrial or trans
+ ssrtation company which Is striving for the
sirhest efficiency at the least cost in order
"a compete successfully with its rivals, a
vsry considerable percentage of the 114,000
would be discharged.
ryyhy do these defects exist in our ad-
rpIstration of justice7 The American peo-
IA are not quarrelsome or liugious. They
~ rood-natured, practical, simple and di-
"a In their methods, respecters of law and
honest in their dealings. Our bar as q
uhole is courageous, loyal and able. 1
.hInk the underlying cause Is that uncon-
selously we all treat the business of ad-
rlnisterlng justice as something to be done
m private benefit instead of for the public
ervce."
Mr.. Root admitted that our basic law
should be redrafted, but, he added. none
but prophet or seer could do it and none
such was available"
C0nmitteeb OIL JuuiCiai teloril VIII IS-
mort tomorrow morning and Mr.. Roots ad-
dress may form part OF the basis of discus
don OF these reports .-..
Stephen s. Gregory of Illinois, former
uresdent of the association, will preside at
he evening session today Former Presi-
dent Frederick w. Lehman, of Missouri,
sll preside tomorrow morning and former
PRESIDENT Henry st. George Tucker of Vir-
fnIa, tomorrow evening.
The meeting will close with the annual
dinner of the association Friday night.