association, the General Council would like to recommend the following members for admission to this association.

(List of names of applicants for membership to the association read, all of whom were elected.)

J. F. Sharp: The members of the Bar will notice, pages 9 to 16, inclusive, of the pamphlet: "Report of Special Committee to Draft Act for Government of the Bar." I am not going to read that now, unless requested to do so, but I would like to make this explanation. The appointment of this selected Committee, as shown by the printed proceedings of the last meeting of the Bar Association, was brought about by a report of Mr. H. D. Henry, who was afterwards appointed a member of the Committee. Mr. Henry has prepared the Bill you will see in the printed proceedings. It reflects a great deal of study and care, and I know Mr. Henry has given the matter his close, personal attention. The Committee has been unable to have a meeting; we have made several efforts to meet, but never have we been able to have a quorum. I have a letter from Mr. Henry this morning, stating his inability to be here; also I have similar letters from Mr. Melton and Mr. Bowman; Mr. Miley and I have met, but we did not constitute a quorum. This Bill was patterned, Mr. Henry advises me, after a proposed Bill promulgated by the American Judicature Society. A Bill such as that, though not identical, was introduced, I believe, during the last session of the Ohio Legislature; I do not believe it became a law. A similar Bill has been introduced in North Dakota. Other Bills, along somewhat the same lines, have been introduced in numerous States, but in none of the States, so far as my knowledge goes, have measures of this kind been put in the form of Statute law. It is greatly to be regretted that Mr. Henry is not with us, because he has given this matter a great deal

of study; he has carried on correspondence with the American Judicature Society, and, I think, with lawyers connected with the Bar Associations, if not members of the Legislature in other states.

Neither Judge Miley nor I feel able to, in his absence, and under the circumstances of the Committee not being able to meet, undertake to assume the authority, a minority of us, to recommend the adoption of this Bill, though Judge Henry, in his letter to me, is hopeful that it may be adopted by the Association, and put up to the Legislature for passage. I might say, gentlemen, that legislation, such as this, is being seriously considered by the Bar Associations and Legislatures in many of the States. In my judgment, it is along lines that are very badly needed. The whole question, to me, is new; I was not at the Bar Association last year, at the time the discussion of this question came up. In fact, I did not know I was a member of the Committee, until I received the printed proceedings of the Association.

I want to make this suggestion, it is too important a matter, I feel, on the meager information I am able to give you, unless you have studied this question for yourselves, and I undertake to say a great many of you have not, because the question is new, that is, it is new to the average, busy practitioner, for me to attempt to discuss in detail, the provisions of the Bill at this time. I have no doubt that our friends from the University Law School, who are present, have given this matter study and thought. I am not prepared, as one member of the Committee, to recommend, at this time, the adoption of this bill. I believe it would be a wise thing to have this matter lay over until a future meeting of the Association, because I cannot conceive that there is any great urgency in the matter.

I want to say to the members of the Association, as you will see from the printed proceedings, that it, among other things, regulates the practice of law in Oklahoma. Of course, at present, we have a Statute, which, while incomplete, and not entirely satisfactory, will suffice for the year.

B. B. Blakeney: I understand there is going to be some legislation requiring every lawyer to be registered, make his application and be registered each year. Is that it?

J. F. Sharp: This Bill proposes, among other things, the payment of an annual license fee of $5.00. That, of course, is to keep up the matter of the prosecution, largely, of disbarment proceedings, to employ special prosecutors, etc. It provides for a Board of nine governors, three from each Criminal Court of Appeals District. It provides for their election, term of office, their duties, how the various elections shall be conducted, and there are many other excellent provisions.

Another reason that prompts me at this time to make the suggestion I have, at least one member of the Committee, who is not present, is not in sympathy with a very material part of the Bill, and without which, in my judgment, the whole Bill would fail.

Mr. Melton is opposed to that provision of the Bill, fixing a license fee or tax of $5.00. The measure, in a sense, is radical. Its object is a very wholesome one. It is a forward movement, as I understand, under consideration in a great many states. I do not believe the practice of law will suffer in this State, by the postponement of this matter to the next session.

F. B. Owen: I move that we do not postpone this to the next meeting, but take it up tomorrow morning. This

has been reported and we have a very small audience, but the members should be given an opportunity to discuss this matter. I think it would be a serious mistake to pass it over for two years. It must be passed two years if it is passed for one. I think it ought to be discussed tomorrow morning.

J. F. Sharp: That is entirely agreeable to the committee. In other words, I don't want to assume the responsibility of presenting this bill to the association.

The President: Well, we will, by unanimous consent, take this up in the morning. The discussion of the Juvenile matter will be up tomorrow morning also.

(Motion seconded and carried.)

Upon motion duly seconded and carried, the meeting adjourned until 9:00 o'clock A. M., December 28th, 1922.

MORNING SESSION-SECOND DAY

December 28, 1922, 9:30 A. M.

The President: Gentlemen, we had two matters passed over for discussion this morning, but the parties leading the discussion are not here. We shall take up today's items as on the program and we will take care of the discussion following the papers. The first is an item of unfinished business. Is there any item of any unfinished business to come up?

F. B. Burford: Mr. President. There has been some discussion about the advisability of continuing the instructions which we gave two years ago to the Executive Committee in regards to the dinner on the first day and having the address, the principal address upon the same day. I realize the force of the argument of the members

of the association who live out of Oklahoma City, that with the dinner upon the first day they are able to get trains the afternoon and evening of the second day and save a day of time, and I am not prepared to dispute with that desire or theory. It does seem to me, however, that it would be advisable to cancel or withdraw the instructions to the Executive Committee and leave it somewhat to their discretion with a recommendation, not necessarily that the dinner be held upon the second day, but that the committee arrange, if possible, to have the principal address and the dinner upon separate days. I think a glance around the room today compared with yesterday would probably tell the story of the effect of having all of the principal attractions-with due reference to the gentlemen who are to speak today-held on the first day. A great many of the lawyers have gone home and want to go home and with that in mind I move you that all instructions heretofore given to the Executive Committee, with regard to the arrangement of the dinner and annual address be cancelled and that the matter of the arrangement of the dinner and the annual address be left to the Executive Committee with a recommendation that, if possible, the dinner and the principal address be held upon different days.

The President: You have heard the motion. Do I hear a second?

(Motion is seconded.)

The President: It is moved and seconded that the instructions heretofore given the Executive Committee requiring the dinner to be held on the second day be repealed and that the matter be left open to the Executive Committee to use its own judgment in the arrangement of the program. Are there any remarks?