practices and administration of the law in the several counties of the state.

The question is: Has this Association any mission in this direction? Has it any concern for the manner and methods in the practice of law that bring discredit upon the Bar of the state? Can it afford to sit supinely and wink at breaches of professional propriety occurring in our courts that scandalize the profession in the eyes of the public?

If not, why not? If this Association has no responsibility in this regard, what does it stand for anyhow? In other states, Bar Associations assume these responsibilities as their prime mission and reason for existence. We believe this Association is remiss in this connection, to the extent of almost entirely ignoring the matter. There are men who are practicing law in the courts of this state who are wholly unfit-unfit morally, professionally and by their personal character and habitsespecially by their manner and methods of practice, and unfit by their habitual open and secret unprofessional conduct in dealing with the business of the courts. One man of this kind can demoralize a whole bar and make the practice of law an affliction to the whole court, from the judge to the janitor. That kind of man is conspicuous at many bars of this state.

It is a very disagreeable and thankless job for one man to undertake to expose, discipline, or disbar a fellow member of the same bar, even when the most flagrant and offensive misconduct in the practice imperatively demands and justifies a housecleaning. Men will suffer, endure and postpone rather than incur the bitter enmities which are sure to follow in the personal relations of those with whom they must meet and transact business day by day. Thus unprofessionalism grows, expands and flourishes because it is more or less immune from punishment. The local and state bar associations furnish the only refuge from such conditions. If they do not offer a free and ready remedy, the standard of the profession must seriously decline. If they are not doing this work now, what excuse have they for their existence?

It was with a view of increasing the efficiency of the state association in this direction, that a new Standing Committee on Professional Ethics has been under consideration by the Council, but the scope of its jurisdiction and lines of work have not been fully determined by the Council, and will have further consideration.

The revision of all the other sections of the constitution and by-laws has been completed but has not been transcribed. With the consent of the Association the revised form will be substituted for the present one and printed in this year's book, when,

if the Association desires to make any amendments, it can be done more intelligently at the next annual meeting with the full text before it.

The Council takes this occasion to remind the Association that at the next annual meeting it will have written another decade of its history, and, in accordance with past usage, it may desire to make some directions or provision for celebrating its thirtieth anniversary with something more elaborate than the usual program. Respectfully submitted,

W. P. Willey, Chairman.

MR. N. C. HUBBARD: I move that the report of the Executive Council be received and filed.

PRESIDENT MATHEWS: If there is no objection, the report will be received and filed, and the recommendations approved, with the exception of the first part of the report, as to which Mr. McCamic has suggested that a special hour be set for consideration.

PROF. W. P. WILLEY: I suppose there will be some desire on the part of the membership to discuss that part of the report. We probably could not do it at this time, and therefore, as has been suggested, it might be made a special order for a future hour so that all may have an opportunity to express their views.

MR. CHARLES MCCAMI: Inasmuch as our regular program for this evening has fallen through, I would suggest a night session, and that we take it up then at eight o'clock.

PROF. W. P. WILLEY: That will be satisfactory.

Upon the vote of the Association being taken, it was ordered that the portion of the report of the Executive Council referred to be made a special order of business. for the evening session at eight o'clock.

Report of Committee on Nominations

To the West Virginia Bar Association:

Your Committee on Nominations begs leave to submit the following nominations for officers of this Association:

For President: Col. Robert White, of Wheeling.

For Vice-Presidents: First District, Nelson Hubbard, of Wheeling; Second District, Neil J. Fortney, of Kingwood; Third District, Fleming Alderson of Richwood; Fourth District, J. W.

Vandervort, of Parkersburg; Fifth District, Frank Enslow, Jr., of Huntington.

For Secretary: Charles McCamic, of Wheeling.

For Treasurer: C. A. Kreps, of Parkersburg.

For Members of the Executive Council: H. M. Russell, Sr.. of Wheeling; W. W. Brannon, of Weston; Wells Goodykoontz, of Williamson; B. M. Ambler, of Parkersburg; W. P. Willey, of Morgantown.

Delegates to American Bar Association for 1913: C. E. Carrigan, of Wheeling; S. Bruce Hall, of New Martinsville.

Delegates to American Bar Association for 1914: Judge George Poffenbarger, of Point Pleasant; Judge L. Judson Williams, of Lewisburg: Judge Charles W. Lynch, of Clarksburg. Respectfully submitted,

W. W. Hughes,

Secretary of the Committee.

PRESIDENT MATHEWS: You have heard the report of the Committee on Nominations, which, unless there is objection, will be ordered filed. Are there any other nominations desired to be made for any offices of the Association? If not, we will take up first the office of President.

JUDGE M. H. WILLIS: I do not believe that any further nominations are to be made, and I, threfore, move that the nominations be closed, and that the Secretary be instructed to cast the ballot of the Association for Col. Robert White for President.

The motion was seconded by Mr. J. W. Cummins, and carried.

The Secretary thereupon cast the ballot of the Association, and Col. White was declared elected President of the Association.

COL, ROBERT WHITE: If I may be indulged just one word, I want to express my gratitude to this Association for the honor conferred on me by that vote. I have been a member of this Association from its very beginning. I was one of the fellows long ago who helped get up this Association when it was organized at Grafton, and I have been a member of it from that day to this. I have been Chairman of one of your important committees for many years, as the older members of this Association will well remember. I have made various and sundry reports at many meetings about the deaths of distinguished lawyers, and that is the only office I have filled in this Association from its organiza

tion until this time. I endeavored to perform my duties of Chairman of that Committee faithfully, and I may be permitted to say that your records will attest how well that duty has been performed. Old man as I am, for I believe I am the oldest practicing active lawyer, and I thank God I am active and practicing yet,-in accepting this position, my friends, I assure you that I will give it the best thought an old man can give it. I will give it the best active care an old man can give it, and I will endeavor, God helping me, to perform every duty incumbent upon me in the high calling to which you have elected me.

JUDGE M. H. WILLIS: I want to assure Col. White that I did not make the motion with any idea that the incoming Chairman who would take his place, would write his obituary.

PRESIDENT MATHEWS: Are there any other nominations desired to be made for the offices of Vice-President?

JUDGE M. H. WILLIS: I move that the nominations for VicePresident close and that the Secretary be instructed to cast the ballot for the gentlemen nominated by the committee.

The motion was duly put and carried, and the Secretary thereupon cast the ballot of the Association, and the gentlemen nominated were declared elected.

MR. J. W. VANDERVORT: I move that Judge Atkinson cast the vote of the Association for Mr. McCamic as Secretary, and Mr. Krebs as Treasurer, for the ensuing year.

The motion was duly seconded, put and carried.

JUDGE G. W. ATKINSON: I take very great pleasure in casting the unanimous ballot of this Association for Mr. Charles McCamic for Secretary, and Mr. C. A. Kreps for Treasurer, and I am sure they will serve us the ensuing year as efficiently as they have done in the past.

PRESIDENT MATHEWS: The next will be members of the Executive Council. Are there any further nominations?

MR. HOWARD N. OGDEN: As the gentlemen nominated are the same who have served us as members of the Executive Council for so many years, I move that the nominations close and that the Secretary be instructed to cast the ballot of the Association.

The motion was duly put and carried, and the gentlemen nominated by the Committee were declared duly elected.

PRESIDENT MATHEWS: The next will be the delegates to the American Bar Association for 1914.

MR. W. W. HUGHES: I would like to amend the report of the Committee by inserting as delegates for the year 1913 the names of Mr. C. E. Carrigan and Mr. S. Bruce Hall.

On motion of Judge Willis, the nominations were closed, and the Secretary cast the ballot of the Association for the delegates nominated, and they were declared duly elected.

Place of Meeting

PRESIDENT MATHEWS: The next order of business will be the selection of place for the next annual meeting of the Association.

MR. J. W. VANDERVORT: I do not know whether there are any places within the state that are anxious to have the next meeting of the Association. It has been more than a decade since the Association met at Parkersburg, and there is a provision in our organic law that when no other place is selected, Parkersburg shall be the place of meeting. The Association has recognized the fact that it did not want to come to Parkersburg, because it has always selected some other place, and so I presume it is incumbent to extend an invitation. Therefore, on behalf of the citizens of Parkersburg, and of the county of Wood, I desire to extend to the Association an invitation that the next meeting be held in the city of Parkersburg. We will have you know that our hands are not straightened, but that our affection is just as warm and our hospitality is just as great as it has ever been in the past. Parkersburg is a convenient point to meet for the lawyers generally throughout the state, and I am sure we will give you a warm welcome and a hearty reception, and the kindest possible treatment, if you will come to Parkersburg.

MR. N. C. HUBBARD: I think Parkersburg is a pretty good town and I think the members from Parkersburg have been unusually faithful in their attendance and in their interest and share