The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-08-13

| Insurance Racket in Montana would
provoke riot.
Treating of jurors on a case has
been declared unprofessional here. II
is unknown Many think that treat
ing of Legislators by attorneys at law
lions is equally unworthy while bills
are pending in which their clients are
interested. Many think that legisla-
tors in Montana are as susceptible
to undue influence as jurors. If this
conduct were tried before the Mon.
tana Bar Association it might be de-
clared unprofessional. So 1t can
never be brought up.
Many think that for a lawyer Cor
anyone else) in the Legislature to ac-
cept a fee for promoting certain bills
is plain bribery. Yet it is rumored
that lawyers have fallen so low as to
do this in the Montana legislature.
Such conduct is useful for the cor
porate control of Montana In fact,
many think that most bills to pass
either house must be worked through
by lawyers under special pay The
question of it's being unethical can
never come up under the present
RECOMMENDATION of the State Bar.
The number of lawyers in Montana
is steadily dwindling. There are 1000
insurance agents, about 700 lawyers.
A reason is that the American public
will usually support a racket in pref
erence to a profession doing useful
work There is another reason: in
stead of our doing useful work in pro-
curing justice for the majority, the
people of Montana, against the alb
sentee landlords, from the university
to the debtors grave we serve east
ern stockholders and not the common
people. The common people do not
trust and hate us as class. Our
service of Mammon often leads the
stars, as we'll as the rank and file,
of the profession to miserable pow
erty. There are widows of former
great corporation lawyers in Montana
lOI IOOultlo. IL 10
for railroads to dismiss elderly law
yers without the pensions of conduce
tors 1t is a truism that if plaintiffs
lawyers are more numerous and ac-
tive in any state, defendants lawyers
are more numerous and better paid.
1t would be more profitable for both
kinds of lawyers if there were greater
independence of the Bar of Montana.
First Mutiny in Forty Years
On the second day of the meeting,
Mr.. J. H. Corcoran of Great Falls
told me that he would like to try to
break up this clique of insurance COM.
pany lawyers and nominate me for
president for the following year. |
answered that it would be impossible
to do anything on the first attempt,
but that would consent to my name
being put before the association as
everyone would realize that it was
not contest between Mr.. Corette
and me but between the Independent
lawyers and corporation counsel for
recognition in the State Bar Associa-
ton, and there had to be beginning
if the Bar Association was ever going
to stand for anything of benefit to the
pie of the state.
The Committee on Nominations had
arranged for John E. Corette, Sr. to
succeed H. L. DeKalb as president,
but my vote served notice that there
are IS members in the association
who are willing to fight the tortuous
battle of the ordinary citizen through |
he courts. / was overwhelmingly de-
'eated by Mr.. Corette. The public |
nay guess who runs the State Bar
he advertisement of the firm of |
Jorette & Corette in Martindale's |
Legal Directory, as follows: state |
Counsel: Union Pacific Railroad Co.; |
Division Counsel for Western Mon
ana: Northern Pacific Railway Co.,
Northern Pacific Transport Co.; Coun-
;el for Metals Bank & Trust Co;
Anaconda Copper Mining Co.; The
Montana Power Co.; Largey Lumber
To-; The Texas Co.; Waite Oil Co.;
Montana Service Corp; Largely
Philipsburg Mining Co.;
Montgomery Ward & Co.; Insurance
.lients: Liberty Mutual Insurance
Co.; American Surety Co.; New York
Casualty Co.; Sun Indemnity Co.;
American Bonding Co.; Fidelity & De-
,osit Co. of Maryland; London Guar
Intee & Accident Co.; Phoenix In
lemnity Co.; Globe Indemnity Co.;
eagle Indemnity Co.; Royal Indem-
lity Co.; Home Indemnity Co.; Lum-
Mutual Casualty Co.; Amer
can Motorists Insurance Co.; Con-
mental Casually. Great American