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Show EDITORIAL YOU ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW AH American citizens are expected to know the law and obey it. We are constantly told this in the courts in their administration of the law, notwithstanding, not-withstanding, according to tho.se who know, there are two million laws on the statute book of this country. There are 60J)00 federal statutes and 65,000 supreme court decisions. State statutes are increased at the rate of 180,000 a year, and state court decisions in proportion. For citizens, even if they are born in this country are to be expected to know there flaws and decisions is preposterous. preposter-ous. Acording to the Hon. Elihu Root, neither lawyers or judges know them; furthermore it is impossible for them to examine the law on any subject. We will cite two cases in recent court decisions under a recent federal law. A California judge of the United States Court in the case of an accused ac-cused "ruin runner," handed down a decision upholding the right of an. American prohibition enforcement' officer to arrest and search for contraband con-traband liquor any suspected vessel of alien registry, on the high seas outside the pale of our territorial waters as defined in our international treaties. A Connecticut judge of the United States Court handed down a decision in a similar case wherein it was set forth that no Ai.nerican prohibition pro-hibition enforcement officer has any right to arrest and search any vessel of alien registry, suspected or carrying carry-ing liquor or other wise, outside the twelve-mile limit. When judges decide so much in opposition op-position to each other, how is it possible pos-sible for the average business man, or even an attorney to know law, except ex-cept that which most frequently comes into their relations. There should be a clearing up of some of the statute laws and they should be presented in such a form that even the ordinary layman can know the law. |