Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-04-23

increase the size OF the court come 20
the defense of the present arrange
ment and say that two more mem
bers are not needed It. has been
charged again and again that the SUI
preme court is too conservative, and
some men have gone SO far as to say
that 1t fnterprets the law today in the
spirit of $780, One of the answers to
this made In behalf OF the judges is
that the court in the last two years
has affirmed a good deal of progress
i've legislation and has rendered many
decisions in keeping with the spirit OF
the age.
All Kinds of Arguments.
Every time that there Is a sugges-
ton to increase the number of SUI
preme court judges it also is said that
the legislators who propose 1t are de-
sirous Of finding high and comfortable
seats for some noted lawyers of their
acquaintance. 1t can be readily seen
from this that all kinds Of arguments,
pro and con, are used whenever a
thought comes to anyone Of influence
better than nine can do 1t.
1t has been suggested also that
some plan might be evolved to relieve
the Supreme court of good many of
the duties which it now has to per-
form.
1t looks today as If any scheme for
increasing the court will find a good
many obstacles in congress. The con-
stitutional lawyers in house and SEN
ate, irrespective of party, say that
the Supreme court is one which should
not be affected by legislation unless it
is absolutely imperative that such
should be the case. There always
has been dread among Americans,
and one knows this because it finds
it's expression in congress constantly.
lest the Supreme court should be made
a political institution. Whenever 1t
has been suggested that change in
the number of judges was advisable,
the most influential lawyers In con-
gress have at once endeavOred TO
prove that back of the suggestion
was the motive of making the court
preponderantly more Democratic,
more Republican, more conservative,
or more progressive. The evident
wish has been to keep it free from
all kinds of opinions simply because
they are opinions, and in saying this
of course political, factionai or eco
nomic opinions are meant
Not Favored by Justices.
1t Is said that the Supreme court
itself does not view the plan to en-
large it with anything like favor. AS
the court is constituted today and as
has been proved by the upholding and
dissenting opinions in certain cases,
there is wide difference of tempera-
ment and belief in the court, but they
are not so marked apparently that
the judicial mind of the justices can
not overcome their ingrained feeling
It is urged by the courts friends that
with the difference of temperament
that exists today an increase in the
membership of the court would simply
complicate the situation without re
sulting in any good.
Tackles Big Job.
Secretary of Agriculture David
F. Houston is making definite plans
for the establishment of the bu-
reau of markets which congress
authorized at it's last session. 1t is
the hope of the secretary that as a
result of his planning the producer
and the consumer can be brought in
closer touch. 1t will be a week or two
yet before the details of the system
which Mr. Houston has in mind ara
worked out, but all the department Of
ficials are pretty we'll informed as to
the means to be used in starting
campaign which they hope eventually
will reduce the high cost of living
The committee made up of bureau
chiefs in the department, recently ap-
pointed by the secretary of agricul-
ture, to consider the formulation OF a
survey of all the conditions that sur
round the business Of the farm and
the people who live in the country,
has completed it's work and it's report
has been approved by Secretary Hous-
ton.
The agricultural appropriation bill,
passed at the recent session OF con-
gress, sets aside $4,000 ito enable the
secretary of agriculture to acquire and
to diffuse among the people of the
United States useful information on
subjects connected with the marketing
and distributing of farm products, and
for the employment Of persons and
means necessary in the city of Wash
ington and elsewhere to carry out this
authorization" Ten thousand dollars
of this appropriation was made i'm
mediately available, and 80 Secretary
Houston does not have to wait until
the new fiscal year to take the prelim-
mary steps In working out his ideas.
and those of his advisors.
The new bureau contemplates max
ing an intensive rather than an extern
sive investigation of market condi-
tons It will begin its work in a mod
est way, in keeping with the appro-
priation that was authorized for Its