The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-04
By the United Press.)


 Washington, March At is inter- esting to watch how industrious1y As sociate- Justice Horace H. Lurton is working to earn his s12,500 salary.
 The newest member of the Supreme Court of the United States took the bench on January 3, and he hadn't been on the job seven weeks before he had rendered opinions in seven i'm portant cases-one fifth of the number of eases argued in that time. Three of these were in the famous cotton leak'' litigation, a complex controversy which has dragged through the courts for two years and accumulated addition all obscurity with every move.
 Justice Lurton takes his work seri- ous1y. He remains wide awake dur ing the entire day, listens attentively to arguments made by counsel, and shows his interest by frequent ques- tioning. Not all of his colleagues are as strenuous-two at least spend a goodly part of the day quietly snooz- ing.
 court breathed a sigh of relief when the new Justice cleared his throat and started in his maiden opinion-ais enunciation was distinct and his sen tences audible throughout the court room. That is a rare quality. Of the other justices there are only three who Justices Moody, Day and Holmes. The rest keep the newspapermen edge to catch what they are saying. Chief Justice Fuller, who is almost eighty years of age, has a. voice absolutely inaudible fifteen feet from the bench; Justice Brewer is nearly as difficult to understand; Justice Harlan warns up only when deciding very import antcase one in which he has felt | the necessity for dissenting on some constitutional question; Justice White has a trick of beginning a sentence loudly, but dwindli1lg his voice down to nothing after the first three words; Justice MeKenna has weak voice. voice despite his efforts to enunciate clear | ly, and even Justice Holmes, who has a strong enough voice (with Boston ac- cenD takes deEght in verbal intricacies 1 that are hard to follow.
 But this is only one of the troubles l of the neWspapermen. The Supreme Court is a stickler for traditions, pro cedure, and forms, and it would never l do to favor the press Therefore, the l correspondents must manage to get along without advance copies of opin- ions There is a slight concession to press associations the representatives of which are assigned seats directly in front of the bar, and given pages who carry their "copy'' to messengers out side the court room.
 | Naturally the members of the Court are the foremost legal technicians in ed toward clearing abstruse legal sit uations Wherefore it happens that the correspondents who, if they were legal sharps, wouldn't be in the news paper game, have a hard time of it ascertaining just what is meant by such and such a decision.
 1 It isn't safe for the reporter to send out a ''bulletin' or flash regarding a decision of the Court until the jus tice delivering that decision shall have said the last word-and sometimes not even then. It is a favorite trick for the justices in delivering opinions, to
 sta Tt with one side, apparently fully | sustain every point, and when the
 newspaperman has just about decided | to make his bullatin to this effect,
 suddenly to veer off, with the words 1 however etc, or Ion the other hand'' still contrarywfse, and so on, and then follow with what is apparently just as fully an affirmation of the op- poste view.
 Then frequently, the court doesn't directly specify affirmed, ire
 versed'', but qualities this action with
 other instructions This is the signal
 for the press men to tear their hair
 For instance, last year on the courts decision on the commodities clause