deputy called on Mr. Flynn and reported charges as made for making copy of old transfer books of some former auditor and the county council made the appropriation. This claim should be allowed.

Claim against C. O. Pew, Trustee of Fremont Township, Steuben County, for the year 1914, shows a charge of $13.95. This party is now living in the State of Michigan and promised to make settlement as soon as he could get the money.

Claim against Geo. B. Hazelton, Justice of the Peace of Vincennes Township, Knox County, for a period extending from August 8, 1911, to November 20, 1914, shows a charge of $20,52, docket fees and fines. We have been unable to locate this party, as he has left the State.

Claim against John C. McCabe, Justice of the Peace, Perry Township, Monroe County, for the years 1914-15, shows a charge of $46, docket fees and fines. Received a letter stating settlement was made but receipts were lost.

Claim against Marion Nance, Sheriff of Pike County, for the year 1915, shows a charge of $41.20. Received letter stating he would settle with treasurer of his county for same.

Claim against Wm. Runyan, Trustee, Montgomery Township, Jennings County, for the year 1914, shows a charge of $36 overpayment of salary. Letter sent to this party returned for better address and so far we have been unable to locate him. Claim against A. A. Smart, Secretary of School Board of Morocco, for a period extending from August 1, 1909, to July 31, 1912, shows a charge of $16 excess salary. Received letter stating this matter had been settled with the State Board of Accounts some years ago.

Claim against Geo. Cassady, Cashier City Water Plant of Marion, shows a charge of $181.04 for the years 1914-15, cash shortage. Cassady was notified, but claim is still pending.

Claim against Oliver Williams, Trustee of Stafford Township, Greene County, for a period extending from September 1, 1916, to March 31, 1917, shows a charge of $2,385.60 illegal expenditures. Impeachment proceedings are now pending in the Circuit Court of Greene County against Williams. We are awaiting action of court in regard to same.

Claim against Lucien E. Jones, Trustee of Stockton Township, Greene County, for a period extending from September 1, 1916, to April 30, 1917, shows a charge of $5,941.98 illegal expenditures. Impeachment proceedings were filed in the Greene Circuit Court, but Jones was acquitted. We have made examination of this report and doubt the advisability of filing suit for same.

Claim against Marshall L. Graves, Justice of the Peace of Monroe Township, Pulaski County, for the years 1910-12, shows a charge of $26.83 docket fees and fines. Graves was notified, but claim is still pending.

Claim against Adam C. James, Trustee of Rich Grove Township, Pulaski County, for the years 1913-14, shows a charge of $364.69. Letter from James states that Board of Accounts agreed to settle for $180, but claim is still pending.

Claims against the following officers of the town of Winamac for the year 1915 shows charges of $27 against Geo. L. Louden, Town Treasurer; $5 against M. L. Kistler, Town Marshal, and $28.50 against J. M. Nye, Town Trasurer, for premium on bond. Parties were all notified, but claims are still pending.

Claim against John E. Littell, Justice of the Peace, Bloomington Township, Monroe County, for period extending from January 1, 1916, to July 30, 1916, shows a charge of $30.75 docket fees and fines. Littell notified, but claim is still pending. Claim against S. Horace Weber, Surveyor of Delaware County, for the year 1916, shows a charge of $6,507.25. Weber was notified, but no settlement made.

Claim against Bennett B. Engle, Auditor of Montgomery County, for the year 1915, shows a charge of $300 making transfer books. Engle was notified, but claim is still unsettled.

Claim against Chas. E. Pittinger, Trustee Center Township, Delaware County, for the years 1910-14, shows charges of $1,504.39 and $5,884.84 for irregularities in construction of schoolhouse. Pittinger was notified, but so far claim is still pending.

Claim against N. E. Nejdl and Greenwald of Lake County. This is a claim for $17,968.95 in favor of Lake County as contractors for the construction of a brick surface road. The claim was sent to this office and taken up immediately. While preparing the same with a view of promptly filing suit an indictment was returned against the defendants for presenting false claims. In this same con

nection G. H. Hendren, State Accountant, has taken the matter under consideration and has employed special engineers who have filed reports with him, but they have not yet reached this office. This office expects to follow closely the recommendation of the State Accountant, as they have expended a large amount of work thereon.

Claim against W. M. Alborn Company, Lake County. This is a claim for $5,240.96 against the above company for money overpaid upon the contract for the construction of the W. A. Wirt road in Calumet Township, Lake County, in the year 1915. This office has not been able to get the details concerning this, but will follow closely the recommendations of the State Accountant.

Claim against Ray Seely, Surveyor of Lake County. This is a claim for $17,550.58, consisting of amounts overdrawn for services on roads and bridges and $72 for duplication of time. This is like the Nejdl case in that this office was investigating it with the intention of promptly bringing suit, but an indictment was returned and the State Accountants have the matter under further consideration. We will advise with Mr. Hendren, and it is our intention to counsel with him at all times in the matter and we will be governed largely by his recommendations. Claim against E. O. Weeks, Trustee of Wayne Township, Fulton County. This is a claim for $3,842.83 for overpayment to contractors and architects on school building extending over a period from November 20, 1913, to September 25, 1915. Weeks was notified, but so far claim is still unsettled.

OFFICE FORCE

J. FRED FRANCE, Clerk.

SAM L. CALLAWAY, Deputy.

EARL L. SULT, Assistant Deputy.

CHARLES E. GRIFFITH, Fee Clerk.

FAE A. HUNTER, Record Clerk.

ESTELLA A. CREAGH, Stenographer and Typist.

DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

The office of Clerk of the Supreme and Appellate Courts, as the title indicates, has to do entirely with the work of these two courts. Appeals from decisions in the Circuit, Superior, Criminal and Probate Courts, the Public Service Commission and Industrial Board are taken to one or the other of these courts, by the filing of a transcript of the record in this office. When the case is docketed by the Clerk, then all motions, petitions, briefs and submissions are filed and entered of record by the Clerk. When ready for the court's action the cases are distributed and placed in the hands of the court in numerical order, except in cases ordered placed on the advance docket by the court, and criminal causes, which by law are advanced. When opinions are handed down the Clerk files, copies and records them, and certifies them down to the county from which they were appealed. When causes are finally disposed of the record is filed away in the archives of the Clerk's office, where they may be inspected at any time. By the constitution of 1851 it was provided that the Clerk of the Supreme Court should be elected by the people for a term of four years.

In a period of one hundred and twenty-five years, there have been nineteen different Clerks of the Supreme Court, but during this time, one Clerk, Henry P. Coburn, served for thirty-two years, from 1820 to 1852.

The Clerk of the Supreme and Appellate Courts, like all other officers of the State, is now paid a fixed salary and nothing more. All fees belong to and go into the state treasury. The work of the office is done by the Clerk and five assistants, selected by him. The salaries of the assistants are fixed and paid by the State.

By the constitution of the State we have five Judges of the Supreme Court, who sit continuously in the State House from October to July in each year. When in session they hear oral arguments, consider evidence taken from the records, decide causes and write opinions. The constitution requires that they must write an opinion in each case they decide. Since the creation of this court there has been filed for their disposal 23,396 cases, and of this number they have decided and written opinions in 23,150 cases. At present the court is composed of the following judges:

John W. Spencer, Evansville, Chief Justice;

Moses B. Lairy, Logansport;

David A. Myers, Greensburg;

Lawson M. Harvey, Indianapolis;

Howard L. Townsend, Fort Wayne.

A vacancy, caused by the decease of Judge Richard K. Erwin, of Fort Wayne, was filled by appointment by the Governor of Howard L. Townsend. The Supreme Judges are elected for a term of six years.

In 1891 the Legislature, by statute, created the Appellate Court, consisting of six judges, elected for a term of four years. This court was created to relieve the congested and crowded condition of the Supreme Court docket. This is not a court of last resort, but in most cases their decisions are final, because litigants proceed no further. Since this court was created there has been filed therein 10,177 cases and 9,484 have been decided and opinions written. This court is not required by law to write opinions in all cases, but since the creation of the court, they have pursued the policy of giving written opinions in all decisions. This court is now composed of the following judges:

Milton B. Hottel, Salem, Chief Judge;

Joseph G. Ibach, Hammond, Presiding Judge;

Frederick S. Caldwell, Winchester;

Ethan A. Dausman, Goshen;
Ira C. Batman, Bloomington;

Edward W. Felt, Greenfield.

The Clerk's office is located in rooms 15, 16 and 17, on the first floor of the State House.

OFFICE FORCE

WILL H. ADAMS, Reporter.

WILBUR G. CARPENTER, Assistant.

CONNOR D. ROSS, Assistant.

LUCY WILHELM, Assistant.

DUTIES

In view of the fact that no publication has heretofore been issued acquainting the people of the State with the nature of the various duties devolving upon the Reporter of the Supreme Court, I am taking this opportunity to place before our citizens, somewhat in detail, the activities and I urposes of this department of the state government.

Broadly speaking, the function of this office is to compile and publish reports of the opinions of the Supreme and Appellate Courts. Prior to the adoption of the Constitution of 1851, the published reports of the Supreme Court were collected, edited, annotated and published by the Hon. Isaac Blackford, Esquire, one of the judges of the court. The time of the appearance of the several volumes edited by him was somewhat irregular, the first volume being issued in 1830, and it consisted of the opinions rendered by the Supreme Court during the ten years subsequent to the organization of the state government. Blackford's reports embraced the work of the court until 1847. These volumes, eight in number, were out of print for many years, but were subsequently republished by various publishing houses.

Our present constitution, adopted in 1851, declared that the General Assembly should provide, by law, for the speedy publication of the decisions of the Supreme Court, and that no judge should be allowed to report such decisions. The office of the Reporter of the Supreme Court was thereupon created by the Legislature, and the first Reporter to be elected was chosen in 1852.

As heretofore stated, it is the duty of this office to receive and publish the opinions of the Supreme and Appellate Courts. The style and form of the volumes are largely governed by the statute, but in keeping with the general advancement in legal publications, the later volumes of the reports have been made much more complete and comprehensive in many ways than those issued in the earlier days. The statutes provide that each volume shall contain 700 pages of opinions, exclusive of tables of cases, etc., and that the commissioners of public printing shall determine the selling price of the volumes, which in no event shall be less than the actual cost of publication. Until recently the law fixed a flat selling price for the Indiana Reports, but the Legislature of 1917, with a view of pre