Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-03
HEALTH FORCES
TAFT TO RESIGN
Harlan F. Stone Is Mentioned
as Successor to Chief
Justice.
Continued From First Page.)

asked Justice Stone to become chair
man of that body. The justice declined
again to leave the bench, and, despite
his insistent efforts to persuade Mr.
Stone, the President had to look else
where for the chairman of the COM
mission.
Mr.. Taft is the second Chief Justice OF
the United States to resign. The only
other instance was the resignation of
John JAY the first Chief Justice. Mr..
Taft Is the only man who has ever held
both the Offices of President of the
United States and of Chief Justice.
He would not have been eligible for
retirement on pay until July, 1881.
Congress is expected to enact legisla-
ton to compensate him after his re-
tirement.
Mr.. Taft was appointed to his place
as Chief Justice on June 80, 1921. He
has worked since that date diligently
and steadily to bring the business of
the court up to date. His labors have
resulted in greatly reducing the conges-
ton of litigation in the court, and these
efforts undoubtedly led to the impair
ment of his health and his subsequent
decision to retire.
Studied English System.
Mr.. Taft has regarded the duties of
his office with that attitude which al
WAYS marked his official conduct. Real
izing that there was a demand for the
more expeditions disposition of court
business he directed efforts to obtain
legislation to that end.
He went to England to study the
system under which the courts OF that
country had prevented the accumula-
ton of cases upon their docketS; he
regularly attended meetings OF the
American Bar Association; he fire.
committees and took advantage of
every opportunity to urge methods
which, in his judgment, would help to
remove causes working for delay In the
Federal courts.
Had Cheerful Philosophy.
Mr.. Taft, who is 70 years old, was
the twenty-seventh President of the
United States. He never allowed the
dignity and cares of his Office to change
his philosophy of life, however. He mas
always possessed an ability to hold fast
to a simple, cheerful philosophy. Be
meath his ever-smtling demeanor attacks
upon his public record cut him very
uGtplys Dub lac NAAN Jaw PCAAA @AAS
to darken him.
Neither has he let the traditions OF
high Office modify his personal habits
more than the circumstances made I'M
perative.
Prohibition decisions came easy TO the
Chief Justice. Becoming head OF the
highest court after it had sustained the
constitutionality of the Volstead act, ne
considered all controversies arising out
of its enforcement with the viewpoint
that in ratifying the eighteenth amend
ment the States had intended TO make
the country bone dry.
Participating with the majority OF the
court which gave that construction TO
the yolstead act, he wrote some OF thce
more important opinions arising out 81
questions over methods OF enforcement.
In tn. famous wire tapping cases he h-id
that evidence obtained by Federal agents
in listening in on telephone conversations
could be legally used in the prosecution
of bootleggers.
Interpreting the rum treaty with
Great Britain. the Chief Justice in the
QusnGra case sustained the seizure CT
the vessel while lowering near the
Farallon Islands, IS miles of San Fran
cisco. He also held that British subjects
brought into the jurisdiction OF the
United States when the seized vessel
was taken to port could be prosecuted
under the laws of this country, along
with other British subjects engaged in
the conspiracy to violate the dry laws