The Legal World
47
Hon. Frank B. Kellogg, president of the American Bar Association, has an nounced the appointment of the follow ing committee on increase of salaries of federal judges: Edward A. Sumner, chair man, New York, N. Y.; Hon. J. M. Dickinson, Nashville, Tenn.; Hon. Chapin Brown, Washington, D. C.; Hon. Charles E. Shepard, Seattle, Wash.; Hon. John W. Griggs, Paterson, N. J.
Governor Gilchrist of Florida has sought ever since his induction into office the securing of the adoption of some system of pleading and practice in the courts simpler, more direct and inexpensive than at present. With this end in view he called a conference of circuit judges in Tallahassee some weeks ago. That body framed certain recom mendations which if enacted into law will go far toward attaining the Gov ernor's object. Acts embodying these recommendations will be introduced in the legislature at the session next spring.
Robert Franklin Walker, who has been elected Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court for ten years, assisted in the revision of the Missouri statutes of 1899 and was elected Attorney-Gen eral in 1892. He was chairman of the commission, selected by the General Assembly, and approved by the Gov ernor, which compiled, revised and anno tated the statutes of 1909. Judge Walker has been president of the Mis souri Bar Association and was one of the editors of "The Cyclopedia of Law and Procedure." His plurality in the November election was greater than any other candidate for Supreme Judge.
The Law Association of Philadelphia has adopted a series of resolutions on the subject of judicial reform which express a compromise. The special committee had decided that the only practicable way to secure immediate relief was the addition of one judge to each of the five Common Pleas Courts, by legislative action. The association adopted this view, but at the same time instructed the special committee to take appro priate steps to secure the adoption of a constitutional amendment "permitting the establishment of a municipal court." Five years must elapse before a muni cipal court can be provided for by this method of constitutional amendment.
nance passed by the City Council, mak ing his annual salary $10,000 a year instead of $7,500.
Procedure and Courts Boston will have a new court, to be known as the Domestic Session of the Municipal Court, which will care for all troubles arising from wife beating, nonsupport and other cases of the kind. The idea of a special session of the court for handling cases of this kind is that of Chief Justice Wilfred Bolster. The hearings in the new Domestic Session room will be public, but it is believed that they will not attract any spectators other than those interested in the cases that are being tried.
A committee of the American Bar Association has been appointed to secure the simplification of legal procedure in the federal courts. The committee is making a vigilant campaign to have Congress authorize the Supreme Court of the United States to do away with the unsatisfactory features of the present system of procedure at law. A uniform system in equity throughout the United States is now covered by new and sim plified rules issued by the Supreme Court, and the American Bar Associa tion, through its committee, will urge Congress to provide for the similar
