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The Green Bag
insisting that attorneys shall be ready for trial when their cases are reached. Fewer motions for a continuance are allowed and fewer excuses for postpone ments are offered now than at any time within the memory of the present mem bers of the Superior Court. Reform of procedure continues to enlist active discussion in New York, but there is nothing definitely accomplished to report. Reform in the method of impaneling juries in New Jersey, taking this func tion from the sheriffs, has reached a deadlock in the legislature, but there is a prospect of President Wilson and Acting Governor Fielder securing a satisfactory enactment by such methods of persuasion as brought about the passage of Mr. Wilson's seven anti trust bills. The prompt enactment of a law add ing a new judge to each of the five courts of Common Pleas of Philadelphia prom ises that relief for congested conditions which the Law Association of Phila delphia lately decided to be immediately required. Governor Tener cannot be said to have added to his popularity by signing a measure which many citizens evidently consider to endanger the pros pects of the proposed Municipal Court, and the constitutionality of the law is likely to be attacked. A special com mittee of the Law Association went into the question of constitutionality carefully in a report presented last December, reaching favorable conclu sions. There are indications that efforts will be made to bring about passage of a municipal court bill without a con stitutional' amendment, so the project of the Law Association to move toward a municipal court by securing a con stitutional amendment may be blocked. The situation in Philadelphia illustrates the drawbacks of that rigid system which
results from the insertion of statutory provisions in the Constitution, and ob stacles in the path of reform are likely to hinder greatly the establishment in the Quaker City of an inferior court sys tem modeled on that of Chicago. The proposed improvement of Bos ton's system of inferior courts still awaits the pleasure of a slow-moving legislature.
Meeting of the Illinois Bar Association A strong sentiment in favor of the reform of practice, procedure, and plead ing was shown by the two hundred delegates who attended the thirtyseventh annual meeting of the Illinois State Bar Association, held at Spring field, Ill., April 8-9. After a discussion which lasted several hours, the associa tion unanimously went on record as favor ing as much expedition as possible in the trial of cases and numerous changes in the practice act which will tend to simplify practice in the courts of the state. Two bills were discussed. One was framed by the committee appointed by the association, senate bill 193. The committee had been working on amend ments to the bill for the past four years. The other was senate bill 325, which is very similar to the English Judicature Act. The association decided to appoint a steering committee of seven to work in the interest of senate bill 193 and urge its adoption by the state legislature. The delegates, while differing in opinion slightly as to details, all favored and admitted the need of simplification of procedure. In the state courts there are five or six codes of procedure, including the common law code, the municipal code of Cook county, the probate and chancery codes and some statutory cases that have a code all their own. Judge Harry Higbee of Pittsfield, in
