The report is as follows: REPORT OF BOARD OF GOVERNORS. To the President and Members of the Illinois State Bar Association: GENTLEMEN: The Board of Governors held its first meeting on July 9, 1918, at Springfield. Governor Frank O. Lowden honored the Board with his presence and participated in an extended discussion upon the prospective legislation situation. The question of the year's program was taken up and it was decided to hold as many district meetings as possible before the November elections, to hold the Annual Dinner to the Supreme Court in Chicago during the month of November and a midwinter meeting of the Association in Springfield during February, 1919. It was further decided that the Organization Committee be instructed to make all necessary arrangements for the district meetings and that at each meeting the following subjects be discussed: 1. Proposed Constitutional Convention, 2. Revision of Practice Act, 3. Reorganization of the Courts, 4. Revision of Revenue Laws, 5. Revision of Corporation Act, 6. Enactment of Corporation Excise Tax, 7. Revision of Probate Practice Act. The Board decided to change the form of the Annual Report and print a number of copies in paper. The Secretary was directed to take a postal card poll of the members to determine which members would desire the board binding, the same to be furnished them without additional cost. The result of this move was a saving to the Association of practically $400.00 in the cost of the Report. The fall of the year being the time for the Illinois Centennial Celebration the Board of Governors requested each Bar Association to hold a Centennial Celebration during the months of September, October or November, 1918, at which celebration the history of the lawyers of the county for the last 100 years might be recalled. A number of the local bar associations followed this suggestion with profit to the members. A meeting of the Board was held on November 30, 1918, at Chicago. At this meeting the proposed amendment to the by-laws providing that all elections should be held by mail in the same way the officers are elected for the Chicago Bar Association, was thoroughly considered and on vote of the Board the amendment was lost. This meeting was in connection with the dinner to the Supreme Court and also the public hearing of the Law Reform Committee so that considerable time was taken up with discussions of the legislative program. A meeting of the Board was held February 4, 1919, in connection with the Committee on Law Reform. This was a public meeting and was participated in by a large number of members. Pending legislation was thoroughly discussed and the legislative program blocked out. On April 5, 1919, the Board held a meeting at Chicago in which the program for the Annual Meeting was discussed and the President and Secretary appointed a committee with full power to carry out the plans. Report of the Committee on Grievances in the matter of People ex rel Wilton U. Hutchinson et al. vs. Wilber H. Hickman, No. 12477, pending before the Illinois Supreme Court, was read and considered, and on motion duly passed, the President was directed to transmit the report and recommendations of the committee, together with the transcript of the testimony and exhibits attached thereto, to the Supreme Court. The Grievance Committee was requested to further consider and report at an early date Rules of Procedure and Practice in matters of complaints against members of the Bar. At this meeting the President and Secretary were directed to take any action they might deem necessary and proper to obtain the passage of Senate Bills 16 and 17, then pending before the Illinois Legislature. Respectfully submitted, R. ALLAN STEPHENS, Secretary. THE PRESIDENT: The next is the annual report of the Secretary, Mr. Stephens. MR. STEPHENS: That report is printed on pages 3 and 4 of the printed reports. I shall be very glad to have that motion made right now. MR. RICHARDS: I move that the reading of all reports be dispensed with, as they have been printed. MR. STEPHENS: As far as committee reports are concerned, that should not be. It is simply the officers' re ports, because committee reports contain matters for action and should be considered. MR. JOHN T. RICHARDS: JUDGE ALBERT C. BARNES: I adopt the amendment. I second the motion. THE PRESIDENT: The motion has been made and seconded that as to reports of the officers as printed, the reading of the same be dispensed with. All in favor say aye. Contrary, no. The motion is carried. The reports are as follows: REPORT OF SECRETARY. To the President and Members of the Illinois State Bar Association: I herewith submit my annual report as Secretary for the year ending June 1, 1918. With the constant demand upon the lawyers of the nation for their time, energy and money during the first six months of the past year, it was deemed advisable not to make a drive for new members in the Association during that period. Since the signing of the armistice the Chicago Bar Association had had an intensive drive on for membership in their Association and for this reason no active campaign has been made for new members in the State Bar Association in their territory. However, while we have lost some members by death, resignation and non-payment, we have added about eighty-five new members, so that our present membership shows an increase in members over last year. The increase in dues became effective July 1, 1918, and while a few members probably resigned on account of this increase, their number was very small and most of our resignations were due to members who were leaving the profession or removing from the State. FINANCES. The financial report of the Secretary as shown by the report of the Auditor, Mr. M. B. Stine, shows that during the past year we have collected as dues the sum of $7,755.40, and there is outstanding to June 30, 1919, dues to the amount of $3,342.00. This sum is larger than it has been during former years, but in view of the fact that the dues were raised, we have been taking no drastic action to force the collection of the same, but we are sure that most of them will be taken care of. The result of the increase in dues has been that we have been able to reduce our indebtedness until, for the first time in several years, the assets of the Association exceed its liabilities. The Annual Dinner to the Supreme Court was given at the Hotel LaSalle, November 29, 1918. Senator George E. Chamberlain of Washington, delivered the address of the evening upon "Compulsory Military Training." The mid-winter meeting and dinner in honor of the State Executive Officers and members of the 51st General Assembly was held at the Leland Hotel, Springfield, on February 4, 1919. Governor Frank O. Lowden, Lieutenant Governor John G. Oglesby, and Honorable David E. Shanahan responded to brief toasts for their respective departments and Honorable Andrew A. Bruce, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Dakota, delivered an address upon "Government by Laws as opposed to Government by Man." Our district meetings have been held in most of the districts and a detailed report of these affairs will be made in the report of the Committee on Organizations. The officers of the Association have appeared various times before local bar associations presenting the interests of the State organization. There have been a number of other activities in which the Association has participated during the past year, particularly in the legislative field, but these matters will be fully covered by reports of the committee having charge of the same. Respectfully submitted, R. ALLAN STEPHENS, Secretary. REPORT OF TREASURER. Pekin, Ill., May 22nd, 1919. To the President and Members of the Illinois State Bar Association: GENTLEMEN: I hereby submit my annual report as the Treasurer of your Association, showing all receipts and expenditures by me from the 23rd day of May, A. D. 1918 (that being the date of my last report) until this date. I submit herewith the vouchers or checks for all payments made and also my pass-book and the written statement of the American National Bank of Pekin, Ill., showing a balance to the credit of the Association of four hundred and eighty-one dollars and fifty-four cents ($481.54) on this date. The true balance is one hundred and sixty-five dollars and ten cents ($165.10), as there should be a deduction for outstanding, but unpresented vouchers as hereinafter set forth. All monies received were received from Mr. R. Allan Stephens, Secretary of the Association. The receipts were as follows, viz: May 23, 1918 May 27, 1918 June 14, 1918 July 10, 1918 Aug, 1, 1918 Aug. 31, 1918 Oct. 7, 1918 Oct. 28, 1918 Dec. 3, 1918 Dec. 31, 1918 Jan. 29, 1919 Jan. 31, 1919 March 3, 1919 March 31, 1919 April 30, 1919 May 19, 1919 May 21, 1919 Bank balance this date, including unpre- Received from Mr. Stephens, Secretary- Total receipts____. 38.11 279.00 800.00 384.50 219.84 13.00 1600.00 2000.00 409.10 719.00 500.00 647.00 700.00 400.00 700.00 300.00 77.96 -$9787.51 |