The Detroit times., 1912-04-30

ellison Gardner. all less important
work. In any case, he must remain
in Washington while congress is in
session. The same is true TO a large
degree OF cabinet officers. Even mem
bers of congress find 1t necessary to
stay in Washington TO attend extra
sessions, as witness the long hot
period OF last summer And at home
they are often busy. The $4,000 civil
service employees in Washington are
granted by law 30 days annual leave
it remains for the supreme court JUS
tices TO take four full months COM
plete rest on full pay.
There is no particular reason why
the justices of the supreme court
should go away from Washington in
May and return in October, neglect
ing the public. business during this
period There is no law giving them
this period as a vacation. They are
paid full salaries and are supposed
TO work full time. During their alb
sence the business of the public is
neglected. as witness the fact that the
court Is nearly two years behind its
docket When the court turns its back
on work next month and goes to the
pleasant seaside or mountain resorts,
II will leave undisposed of approx
mately 7S0 cases. The number Of
cases disposed of by the court be-
tween the beginning of its sitting last
October and up TO April, 1912. was
3G9. When the present term of co1rt
began in October, 1911, there We're
S23 cases pending During the term
and up TO April 20, 1912. 26S new
cases were filed, making total of
1.C91 cases to be handled II the court
were to clear up its docket before 60
ing on vacation. However, the court
succeeded only In working down the
docket to 722 cases. which number
will be somewhat increased by new
filings before vacation comes.
Many of the cases pending before
the supreme court are personal injury
cases. where litigants like railroads
and industrial corporations are fight
ing ard using money and legal tech
nicaliti6s TO defeat the recovery OF
damages by persons injured through
carelessness or neglect of the corpor-
ations' agents. In this sort OF case
delay involves real hardship to wives
and children. and in all cases undue
delay amounts to substantial defeat
OF Justice Delay is the chief weapon
of the rich for nulllfying law. In
sofar as the United States supreme
court contributes to this delay II is
nullifying the law.
There are other cases where the
loss involves mere dollars. For ex-
ample, the supreme court has stepped
in and taken the railroad side in the
so-called intermountain rate case. This
case in pending in the supreme court
where il was carried on appeal from an
order of the commerce court enJoining
an order by the interstate commerce
commission which would have reduc-
ed the rates on freight between the
Atlantic seaboard and intermountain
points like Spokane. Washington. The
shippers were entitled to relief, but
while the court is considering what
to do the railroads are permitted to
go on charging the old unjust and
extortionate rate The case has been
set down for hearing Oct. 10, and 1t
cannot be decided Tin view OF the
supreme courts four monthe vaca-
tion) before January or February,
1913. This Is a wrong 20 every ship
per living In the intermountain coun-
try. and he has a right, 70 protest
against the payment of salaries TO
supreme court justices who are
neglecting hisSwork to 20 of on four
months vacation unauthorized by any
law.
The supreme court justices take
this leave simply because there is no
body to tell them that they can not.