H. Choate, 1906-1908; Francis Lynde Stetson, 1908-1909; Adelbert Moot, 1909-1910; Elihu Root, 1910-1912; William Nottingham, 1912-1913; Alton B. Parker, 1913-1915; Alphonso T. Clearwater, 1915-1916; Morgan J. O'Brien, 1916-1917; Charles E. Hughes, 1917-1919; Henry W. Taft, 1919-1920; Nathan L. Miller, 1920-1921; William D. Guthrie, 1921-1923.

In that list there is one Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, one Chief Judge and three Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals of the State of New York; five Justices of the Supreme Court, two Governors of the State of New York, a representative to the Court of St. James, a United States Senator, Secretary of War and Secretary of State, two Regents of the University of the State of New York; and two candidates for President of the United States, both of whom should have been elected.

There is another matter which I feel impelled to mention here which is of great importance to me, and that is the service rendered by my alter ego, Edward Kæstner, who has been associated with me-really, I do not remember when it all began, but it was in the distant days before I became Secretary of this Association. When I look back now upon this more than a quarter of a century of association and companionship with him, this long span of time, now so short in retrospect,-I wonder at the sheer mass of the work we got through with for this Association and the American Bar Association.

My dual service as Secretary of this Association since 1899 and Treasurer of the American Bar Association since 1902, was made possible by the efficient and indefatigable and faithful service of Mr. Kaestner. He is a man of real ability and has a most extensive knowledge of bar associations and their work. Some of you who have been closely in touch with my office have realized that when conferring with him.

And now let me express to you the great obligation I feel for your thoughtfulness and courtesy in giving me this souvenir. I shall enjoy it, I am sure. Most of all, I shall remember the pleasant relations which I have had with so many of you during all these years; and the memory of your kindness and thoughtfulness to me will remain as long as I live. (Applause.)

I just want to stress the fact that the resolutions that were passed by the Conference in Washington in February, 1922, were passed after consideration and preparation by a Committee, and were finally adopted by an almost unanimous vote, and the report from the Conference of Bar Association delegates adopted there last year, in supplement to these resolutions, in the matter of requirement of moral fitness and character, were adopted unanimously by the American Association.

Bar

Practically every point that has been made here was made in the Committee before these resolutions were prepared. The strong point of the need of an educated Bar was expressed with great care in Article 5.

Since the legal profession has to do with the administration of law, and since public officials are chosen from its ranks more frequently than from the ranks of any other profession or business, it is essential that the legal profession should not become the monopoly of any economic class.

Every argument for opportunity for the poor boy to become admitted to the Bar was made there, and it was the intention of those who prepared the resolution, on the one hand to safeguard the community and safeguard the young men from dangers that come from an inadequate equipment, and yet, at the same time, preserve the opportunities for those men of character who had not the opportunity for collegiate education.

I do not know where Mr. Moot got the impression that it was the intention of those who presented the resolution that only those of foreign education could substitute the equivalent of that education for education in an American college. What we all sought to stress was the growing importance of training in the tools required for the practice of the law, that knowledge of American institutions that could only come from a study of history, and not merely the ability to speak the

English language with sufficient ease to pass a Bar examination, also the use of the English language that could only come through training that would enable a lawyer to practice law with safety to his clients; that kind of training is as essential to-day to proper practice of the law as knowledge of anatomy is to a physician, and the necessities for that training was the one thing that united the Bar of the whole country.

The appeal to the men of the Committee was made there, it was respected, it was intended to be respected in these resolutions, and I understand, Sir, that in voting for these resolutions again, I vote for such reservation as will permit the competent man of ability to submit his evidence of character and training in lieu of actual attendance of two years at college. Mr. Wickersham:

Mr. President, I move we adjourn to 2:15 this afternoon. The Chair:

It is moved and seconded that we now adjourn to 2:15 p. m. (Whereupon, at 1:10 P. M., January 19, 1924, the meeting of the New York State Bar Association adjourned to 2:15 of the same day.)

AFTERNOON SESSION

January 19, 1924, 2:15 P. M.

President Dykman, in the Chair.

The Chair:

Gentlemen, we have passed in the order of business-two reports, first the report of the Committee on Legislation relating to Narcotic Drug Control, and the Chair recognizes Mr. Anderton.

Mr. Anderton:

Mr. President and Members, this report is referred to in the report of the Executive Committee, and I beg leave, for the benefit of those not present yesterday when that report was read, to read an excerpt from the Executive Committee's report:

"A report has been received from the Special Committee appointed, pursuant to resolution adopted at the annual meeting of this Association held in 1922, to consider and report on legislation relative to narcotic drug control,

recommending certain legislation in the State of New York and also uniform state laws on this subject. The Executive Committee believes that this is a very important matter, and therefore refers the report to the Association for consideration and action at the coming annual meeting, with its approval of the same."

I therefore offer the following resolution:

Resolved, That the report, dated January 8, 1924, of the Committee on Legislation in Relation to Narcotic Drug Control, be approved and ordered on file, and that the Committee be continued; further

Resolved, That this Association earnestly recommends. the immediate enactment of legislation along the lines recommended in said report, and that the Committee on Legislation support such legislation accordingly; further

Resolved, That this Association earnestly recommends the formulation of a Uniform State Narcotic Drug Control Law under the auspices of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and of the Commissioners of this State, and that the Committee on Uniform State Laws take action accordingly.

The Chair:

Gentlemen, you have heard the resolution, is it seconded? Mr. Ordway:

I second the motion on behalf of the Executive Committee. The Chair:

It is seconded on behalf of the Executive Committee. The question is on the resolution which has been read. As many as are in favor of the resolution will please say Aye; opposed, No. The motion prevails.

Report from the Committee on Amendments of Procedure in the Federal Courts.

Mr. Hinrichs:

Mr. President and Gentlemen, I promise you I will consume but a short time.

This report is a ray of sunlight.

You will recall it was back in 1911, twelve years ago, that a resolution was adopted by this organization to take up the

question of reform in procedure in the Federal Courts, which antedated similar action by the American Bar Association, and we have co-operated with the Committee of the American Bar Association from that time to this, although I must admit that the activities of the American Bar Committee have been greater than our own, under the splendid leadership of Judge Shelton.

The report I have to submit to-day is very brief, but full of promise that ultimately, after twelve years of toil, we are about to see a consummation in victory.

Senator Cummins, for instance, who has been opposed in the Senate to this report in procedure in the trial of common law actions in the Federal Court, seems to be won over to an endorsement of the plan.

We have presented a questionnaire to the House of Representatives and also to the Senate, with this result, that ninety per cent of the House is in favor of the reform, and a majority of the Senate.

To cap the climax at this time, President Coolidge in a recent message to Congress, has inserted this preamble in relation to Federal Judges and lawyers who have agreed to recommend legislation by which the procedure in Federal Trial Courts may be simplified and regulated by rules of court rather than by statute, such rules to be submitted to Congress and to be in force until annulled by Congress. In this respect he follows the lead by Chief Justice of the United States when he was President.

We are, indeed, on the very threshold of success, and I think it is due largely to our own activities, coupled with those of the American Bar Association, and I think the credit belongs to us, should we ultimately succeed in having inaugurated this movement away back in 1911. I present this report in the absence of Mr. Masten, who is the Chairman of the Committee. The Chair:

The report will be received and filed.

We will hear a report of the Committee on the formation. of a judicial section. Judge Staley.

Judge Staley:

Mr. President, at the meeting of the Association last year, there was a resolution passed to get under way the formation of a judicial section. This resolution resulted in a conference