EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT for the orderly and safe administration of jus tice.' There are many who lament the delays and uncertainty of trial litigation as compared with that in English courts, and critics have usually attributed this to the inferior caliber of our trial judges. The trial bench now sug gests another point of view which appellate judges would do well to heed. A WISE REFORM New York has recently adopted a rule de signed to expedite the collection of claims to which there is no real defense and to prevent dilatory pleas. The rule is similar to that of the English courts which has been discussed in our pages frequently, and somewhat like that for a long time in force but with little effect in Massachusetts. One provision of the New York rule, however, suggests a means whereby in the hands of a really efficient judge it may greatly aid the expeditious hearing of these cases. This is the portion of the rule that gives the court authority in its discretion in deciding upon the motion to place the case on the special calendar, to require stipulations as to facts not really controverted, require consent to the ex amination of a party or witnesses before trial, the production of books, papers, or documents, or the giving of security to pay any judgment in favor of the plaintiff. LEGAL STYLE In a recent number of the London Law Times is a brief contribution on the influence of law books, calling attention to the profound influence that some of our classic treatises have exerted upon famous lawyers of later times by reason in large measure of their literary qual ity. Blackstone's "Commentaries," Bentham's "The Rationale of Judicial Evidence," and Smith's " Leading Cases " are cited as conspic uous examples of legal treatises of this sort. It was the impression produced by reading a two volume copy of Blackstone's " Commen taries " which Abraham Lincoln, the country storekeeper, found among the effects bought of an emigrant, that crystalized all the results of Lincoln's omnfvorous reading into a cohe rent unity and determined his career. The merits of style in our text books are unfortu
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nately seldom considered by publishers or reviewers, and indeed amid the mass of illdigested compilations which is being constantly thrust upon us we are justly grateful if a book is reasonably clear and accurate, and can for give crudities of style and arrangement. It is pleasant, however, in this connection to note that in a recent editorial in a London newspaper American law books were held up as an exam ple of effective English in contradiction of the assertions made in discussions in the current English press that the English of America is inferior in standard to that of old England. CLIENTS' ACCOUNTS An interesting question which is now under discussion in England is the calling of a meet ing of the Council of the Law Society to con sider the advisability of appointing a commit tee to inquire into the subject of the custody of clients' moneys. The subjects to be con sidered are : 1. The methods in which the solicitor should keep the accounts of himself and his clients. 2. The keeping and auditing of trust accounts. 3. The conduct of professional business. 4. The formation of a guarantee fund. "The cases of defalcation which occur from time to time," says the Law Times, " show that these are matters which • demand the earnest attention of the profession." In Eng land the specialization of the work of the solicitor makes regulation of the sort of legal work here under consideration an easier mat ter perhaps than in our country where the work of the attorney and the^solicitor are per formed by one person. We are not, however, without our regular reminders of the import ance of the consideration of this same question by our own Bar associations. Few profes sional or business men have the temptations to dishonesty that are spread before the attorney, and it is believed that many cases of misapplication of a client's funds are due to the consequences of what was originally merely careless mingling of personal and agency accounts. If any definite regulation is found expedient by the English societies it would be well for our own to give them care ful consideration.
