OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING OF THE State Bar Association OF WISCONSIN FOR THE YEAR 1915 STANFORD LIBRARY MILWAUKEE, WIS. THE EVENING WISCONSIN PRINTING CO. -1916- ANNUAL MEETING of THE STATE BAR ASSOCIATION OF WISCONSIN. HELD AT SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN, JULY 14, 15, 16, 1915. Session July 14, 1915. Meeting called to order at 2 o'clock P. M. PRESIDENT CHRISTIAN DOERFLER: Members of the Asso ciation, Ladies and Gentlemen: I have the honor of introducing to you now, the Hon. George B. Hudnall, President of the local Bar Association, who will make a brief address of welcome to the members of the Association. (A brief address was delivered by Mr. Hudnall, extending a hearty and sincere welcome to the attending members on the part of the Douglas County Bar Association.) PRESIDENT DOERFLER: On behalf of the Association I can express our appreciation of the kind words of welcome delivered by the President of the local Association. It has been the custom for many years to hold the meetings of this Association in Milwaukee and at Madison, particularly Milwaukee, and a new system was suggested a few years ago to assign the meetings at various places throughout the state, so that since that time we have held one meeting at Wausau, which was highly successful, and another at Green Bay, which I think was the best meeting I ever attended. At the meeting at Green Bay the name of Superior was mentioned and received enthusiastic support. Being particularly interested in this meeting at Superior I made special effort to convince the Milwaukee county lawyers at least seventy-five of them expressed their conviction they would attend this meeting. That was three or four weeks ago. As time passed on one after another had excuses to offer until finally the number that are here or will be expected to be here will not be much more than ten. There is some slight excuse for not coming, as you all know, "It's a long way to Tipperary." 3 I feel very keenly that the members of the Douglas County Bar Association have shown an interest in this convention, perhaps second to none of any bar where this convention has ever been held, and on behalf of our Association I want to at this time express our appreciation of your kind welcome and arrangements you have seen fit to make. The first order upon the regular program will be the delivery of the annual address which the President will now proceed to inflict upon you. The subject of my address was prompted by Section 2 of the Constitution, "The object of the Association is to maintain the honor and dignity and to increase the usefulness and influence of the profession of law." The President here delivered the following address: Address read (See Appendix, p 65.) JUDGE SMITH, Superior: I move a vote of thanks be extended for the letter and spirit of this address. Seconded and carried. SECRETARY'S REPORT. July 12, 1915. To the Officers and Members of the Wisconsin State Bar Association: The undersigned, as Secretary, begs leave to submit the following report for the past year. DISPOSITION OF RECORDS, ETC. The Constitution of the Association provides (Section 8) as follows: "The Secretary shall deposit with the Wisconsin State Historical Society for safe keeping the records, documents, books and papers of the Association, except such as may be required by the Secretary and Treasurer in the performance of their duties." I desire to call the attention of the Association to the fact that records of the Association have been kept heretofore by former secretaries in a large tin box which soon after my election as Secretary was sent to me by the retiring Secretary and it has since then been kept in my vault. I do not know just how strict a construction of this clause is expected of the Secretary, but I will say that there is a large amount of correspondence and other papers in this box, some of which does not seem to me to require that it shall be safely kept anywhere. It would seem as though someone should be authorized to go over these records and preserve such as should be preserved of correspondence and documents and make proper disposition of the rest. It would seem unnecessary to keep the manuscript of speeches and other matters which are published in the Reports, and the correspondence of the Association has assumed such proportions that it would seem as though some judgment must be exercised by someone as to what should be preserved. HONORARY MEMBERS. The Constitution relating to membership provides for honorary membership, both because of incumbency of judicial offices and by reason of payment of dues for 15 years. The number of honorary members of the Association at the present time for payment of dues for 15 years is 30, and the number of honorary members by reason of incumbency of judicial offices is 64. There are in addition a large number in the State who are incumbents of a judicial office who would be entitled to honorary membership upon application. This membership exempts the member from payment of any dues. The number of courts of record other than Circuit and County Court in the State of Wisconsin is approximately 22. Upon publication of the Report the Secretary would like some instruction as to whether or not these persons not paying dues are to be furnished with a copy of the Report free of charge, and it might be advisable to discuss the question as to whether or not the honorary membership for incumbency of judicial effices should extend further than the Supreme and Circuit Courts on account of the reduction in the revenues of the Association. The smallness of the annual dues of the Association makes it neccssary that the Association extend its dues-paying membership as far as possible. The question of publication of names of honorary members came up for discussion before the Executive Committee and it was decided that the hon. rary members should not be |