The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-29
FORD COMPLAINS OF /
CARPET BAG RULE.


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persistent assignment or some Justices
to the inferior work of the courts, while
the moro important functions are dis
charged by the others. is prompted by
craftsmanship. favoritism or malice.
IF we assume. however, that they
would give in explanation of their I'M
doubted discrimination against certain
Justices and in favor of others. that they
endeavor to assign to the most i'm
portant work of the courts those JUS
tees who. in their opinion, care best
qualified for It. we are squarely UP to
the main question involved. Have they
the right under the constitution to pass
upon the qualifications of any justice
to perform any or the duties of his Of
fice?"
Justice Ford further states: these
seven men know that the bench and bar
and others who are at all conversant
with the work of the courts construe
their refusal to assign Justices to the
three most coveted and important parts
of the court as q verdict of unfitness
found against them by this jury of
seven 1t is their stamp of deficiency
placed upon the names of the Justices so
barred
Ordinarily one who is elected to the
Supreme Court begins new career. 1t
becomes his life work and he has the
right to make the most of himself That
he cannot do trying negligence cases He
can keep himself abreast of the law and
show the best that is in him only by
doing his full share of all the work of
the court
Trying jury cases month and month
becomes monotonous and tiresome to
the last degree and tends to make the
trial justice mentally lopsided. He may
know all there is to know about the
law of negligence and of sales, but he
will grow stale and rusty in the other
and higher reaches of law and equity
Referring to the special terms in New
York county, Justice Ford said: For
a Justice to be denied the privilege Of
sitting In these parts is to be shut out
from the opportunity to make for HIM
self as distinguished a career on the
b.nch as his natural endowments. his
educational equipment and his own eff
forts can gain for him.
Further. he has the same right to
aspire TO higher office In the judicial
and other fields. or 20 reenter the prac-
tice of la, as has any of these seven
Justices of the Appellate Division"
With the letter Justice Ford enclosed
draft of a proposed bill which would
make it mandatory upon the Justices
o. the Appellate Division to assign all
Justices to special term work. do you
not think II is important enough for you
to embody in your forthcoming message
to the Legislature recommendation
that the part of the section indicated
be repealed?" he asked the Governor
elect.
The tables which Justice Ford en-
closed show that he never has been as
signed to the special terms in Bronx
county. although Justice Giegerich has
spent twenty-nine weeks in those parts.
They also contain the following COM
plant: Assignments to hold special
term in the summer months and during
the Christmas holidays are undesirable.
or the thirty-two weeks of special terms
work assigned to Justice Ford during
his fourteen years pm the bench. summer
and holiday assignments amounted to
sixteen weeks. Justice Fords assign
ments in summer and holidays consti-
tuted so per cent. of his total" He
had no assignments during the four
years. 1907. 19cS, 1909 and 1920. Neither
did he have assignments to Special
Term. Part Ill. during fourteen years