The Forrest City times., 1913-04-25


 increase the size of the court come to the defense of the presen. arrange ment and say that two more mem bers are not needed. It has been charged again and again that the Su- preme court is too conservative, and some men have gone so far as to say that it interprets the law today in the 1 spirit of 1880. 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 Kndc Of Arguments.
 Every time that there is a sugges- tion 10 increase the number of Su- preme court judges it also is said tha, the legislators Vao propose it are de- airoGs Of finding high and comfortable seats for some noted lawyers Of their acquaintance. IL caa be readily seen from this thac al kinds of arguments, pro and con, are used wherever thought comes to anyone os influence that eleven judges can do tEe work better than nine can do it.
 It has been suggested also that some plan might ba evolved to relieve the Supreme court of good many Of the duties which it now has to per form
 It looks today as if any scheme for increasing the court will find a good many obstacles in congress. The cen stitutional lawyers in house and sen ate, irrespective of party, say that the Supreme court is one which should net be affected by legislation unless il is absolutely imperative that such should be the case. There always has been q dread among Americans, and one knows this because ii finds it's expression ih congress constantly, lest tke Supreme court should be made a political institution. Whenever it has been suggested that change in the number Of judges was advisable. the most influential lawyers in con- gress have at once endeavored 10 prove that back of the suggestion wss the motive oi making the court retouGeranuy more Democratic, mere 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 !n saying this Of course political, factioral or eco homie opinions are meant.
 Not Favored by Jugtiecs.
 It Is said that the Supreme court itself does not view the plan to en- large t with anything like favor. AS the court is constituted today and as has been proved by the upholding and i dissenting opinions in certain cases, there is a wide difference Of tempera- ment and belief in the court, but they are not so marked apparently taat l the judicial mind of the justices cal- 1 not overcome their ingrained feeling It is urged by the courts friends that l with the difference of temperament l that exists today an increase in the membership of the court would simply 1 compl.cate the situation without re- sulting in any good.
 Tackles Big Joo.
 Secretary of Agriculture David l P Houston is making definite plans for the establishment of the bu. 7eau of markets which congress authorized at it's last session It is ! the hope of the secretary that as a result of his planning the producer 1 and the consumer can be brought in i closer touch. IL will be week or two yet before the details of the system which Mir Houston has in mind are worked out but all the department of fcials are pretty well informed as to the means to be used in starting a 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 cf con. ] gress sets aside S50000 to enable the secretary Of agriculture to acquire and to difuse among the people of the United States useful information or subjects connected with the marketing and distributing of farm products. and for the employment of persons and means necessary in the city of Wash iugtOn and elSeW here 10 carry ont this authorization" Te. thousand dollars of this appropriation was made i'm mediately available, and SO 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 oI his advisors.
 The new bureau ccntemplates mak ing an intensive rather than an exten. siye investigation of market condi tions It will begin it's work in a mod est way, in keeping with the appro- ! u.s... ..f f-