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THE GREEN BAG

the equality of the citizen before the law, a rule like that which obtains in the barber shop must be preserved. This is to a con siderable degree fallacious. A delay which will amount to a denial of justice in some cases, will be essential to the securing of justice in others. In some, time, in the sense of speedy determination, is the essence of the action, in others, it plays little or no part. Therefore the rule of "first come first heard," instead of an evidence of the equality of all citizens in the eye of the law, frequently becomes an engine of injustice, if not oppression. Now since the greater danger of conges tion, with its attendant evils, is in the cities where there are several courts in session most of the time, a division of labor

among them, based on the character of the causes and their urgency, if it does not actually relieve the situation <ends to mini mize the evils now felt. Specialization is the order of the day in nearly every busi ness and profession, and it is done in the interest of efficiency, of work, or of results. Why should our courts not be specialized in the work they perform? And will not this function of government be thereby more effectively performed both in the economy of time, the diminution of rever sible errors, and the increased confidence of the people in the correctness of the admin istration of justice? It seems so to me. HENRY STOCKBRIDGE. BALTIMORE, MD., April, 1905.

COLORADO I confess a great deal of surprise and tive power of the judges from the people to humiliation in reading Mr. Crane's article, the governors, for instance, and the people at the great progress made by our brethren will cling for a long time, to what they con of England as compared with the retrogres sider their birthright in that respect. Per sion shown by us American lawyers in haps when the Bench and the Bar of our tackling this vital matter. The heroic country has advanced greatly in its per remedy applied in England would not be sonnel, when the salaries of the judges are endured by our people generally, I fear, somewhat commensurate with their work because of our different ideas in regard to and the importance of their position, when the rights of the individual, and the free the intelligence of the Bar has been increased dom of action in all matters which has by increased requirements for admission, almost degenerated into license. In other and when the Bench is recruited from the words, English people, accepting an aris best of the Bar, we may hope that the delay tocracy, accept an aristocracy of the judi in obtaining justice by litigants will force ciary, wisely, it is true, but an almost impos us into the position of obtaining some such sible action upon the part of the American concerted action upon the part of the states, people, at least for the present. which will produce a change in the law The unlimited power granted by the similar to that now existing in England. English acts to the judges and the admin Concerted action upon the part of the istrative departments of the courts is abhor members of the bar in every state of the rent to the average American as an infringe Union, with a continual presentation of the ment upon the rights of the people, and I injustice of the law's delay, can alone hurry fear it will be a long time before we can the good time when such changes will be induce the Bar and the laymen to trust the brought about. rights of litigants so completely to the HORACE G. LUNTpower of the Bench. Moreover, there would have to be, with us, a change of the appoin COLORADO SPRINGS, COL., April, 1905.