The New York herald., 1922-08-28
Notaries Public.
Suggestions for Providing Better
Service for the Public.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: Governor
Miller has declared new rules for the
appointment of notaries public. These
require that applicants for notaryships,
unless they be lawyers or apply for re-
appointment, must submit a recommen-
dalton signed by Justice Of a court of
record. who must be satisfied Of the ap-
plicant's character and qualifications
and make inquiry relating thereto.
Until recently the recommendation of
stances this was perfunctory and went
by favor. The new rule throws wholly
unnecessary burden and responsibility
upon the judiciary II its spirit be ad-
hered to and 1t be followed conscien-
tiously The rule does not seem to be
efficient nor will IT remedy the evil con-
ditions aimed at.
There are altogether too many no.
taries especially in the larger cities
almost anybody. however ignorant or
otherwise disqualified. can become a
notary provided he or she be willing
to pay the entrance fee.
II Is astonishing how many notaries
there be who do not even know the ru-
dimentary duties OF their assumed pro-
fession. who do not know how to ad-
minister an oath, and therefore do not
administer 1t but sign away offhand
some do not know the difference be-
tween an affidavit and an instrument
requiring an acknowledgment they
make a farce of their profession.
A notary in the European countries
holds an honorable Office and Is es-
teemed and respected. Here In America
too many of them are dangerous jokes.
and II Is only owing to the honest in
tent Of tho general public and the Wig
ilance OF the lawyers that compara-
lively few harmful Irregularities are
made and willful frauds perpetrated.
What should be done Is that the stat
ute relating to notaries and their ad-
mission should be radically revised. The
law should provide for an ef1cient ex-
animation OF applicants for the Office by
tho Civil Service Commissioners. except
as TO lawyers not even applicants for
reappolntment should be excused from
such examination unless they have held
office for three terms. six years. As 70
lawyers admitted In this State, they
should be notaries by virtue OF their su-
perlor office without further ado.
Notarial fees should also be revised
and not based upon the Colonial shil-
ling but upon our decimal coinage--and,
by the way. all other statutory fees as
weli--and they should be raised to con-
form to the standards of the present
age. The legal fee for administering
an oath Is 12 cents--until recently 12h
cents, one shilling--although in practice
as cents is charged. and this Is no more
than lust for conscientious service and
the responsibility involved and IL the
notary may recoup his entrance fee /;
the fee for an acknowledgment by one
person ia 25 cents and IA cents for each
additional person. The fees for adj
ministering an oath and for an acknowl-
edgment should be uniform; the time,
responsibility and service involved are
practically the same Say 25 cents for
one person and 10 cents for each addi-
tionaI person. Permit me to add an
other suggestion: Among our general
laws there should DO enacted another.
the legal fee law, In which all statu-
tory fees OF whatever nature should
be alphabetically set forth ne revised
and based upon our decimal coinage
and not upon the Colonial coinage. an