Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-05
SUPREME COURT
BEGINS NEW TERM
Increased Docket Shows
Varied Types of Cases
for Consideration.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the ASSOClaLeQ SFeSS.
The Supreme Court will begin new
term tomorrow, with all its nine men,
bers present, including Justice Holmes,
who will be 90 next March, and Justice
Roberts, who went on the bench in the
closing session Of last term.
The justices have returned to Wash
ington much benefited by the rest they
obtained between working on cases
which poured into the court during the
recess. Chief Justice Hughes and
Justices McReynolds, Sutherland and
Stone made short trips abroad.
Increase in Cases.
There was a slight increase in the
average of cases filed during the Sum-
mer. While no outstanding case at
tracing wide national interest con-
fronts the court, there are many of
major importance. Three hundred petit
tons asking reviews of lower court and
so appeals have accumulated. Many of
these have already been studied by the
justices, who will devote the first two
weeks Of the new term to decide in con-
ferences which cases present questions
to be disposed of with written decisions
and which must be dismissed without
further consideration because the ques-
tons presented are not within jurisdic-
ton of the court.
Oral arguments of counsel in cases
pending will not begin until Monday,
october 20. The court at its last ses-
sion disposed of all cases awaiting de-
cSion, setting new record for recent
years. When the court meets, however,
there will be approximately 500 cases
on its appellate docket, compared with
432 last October.
There are by far more tax contro-
versies than any other class. An ava
lanche has poured in as corporations,
companies and the public have found
grounds for demanding refunds of por-
tons of paid Federal and State taxes.
Among the cases of prime Importance
are two challenging Federal juriSdic-
ton over radio communication, attack
ing the control of Congress through a
Federal commission to regulate broad
casting stations. The motion picture
industry is vitality interested in the in
depreciation which the highest court
may place upon contracts, leases and
regulations used by some of the largest
distributors. Candy manufacturers in
Chicago and a bill posters organization
in New York are asking the court to
reverse antitrust decisions against
them.
Railroads Interested.
Railroads are watching the outcome
of a number Of controversies involving
determination of methods to be used
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion in fixing their investment values,
whether a State or the Federal Govern
ment controls in the construction of
union passenger stations and number
Of other questions.
Although the court has steadfastly
sustained national prohibition against
all attacks, 1t has not freed itself of
such controversies, and Is being asked to
set aside the Jones and 10 law, to
pass again on the validity Of the eight
zenith amendment and the Volstead
enforcement act, and to decide whether
a number of persons convicted OF pro-
| hibition violations were legally con-
victed or were subjected to unlawful
search and seizure.
Some owners of brewery property
would have the Federal Government
refund some of the taxes they paic on
the ground that national prohibition
decreased the value of their property
Also there are pending 18 cases in
which States are parties mostly present.
ing boundary disputes.
| The docket contains many human IN
terest cases in addition to those pre-
senting profound legal problems. Out
standing among these are two In which
the court is asked to decide whether
death from blood poisoning following
the removal of q hair from the nose and
death from sunstroke were accidental
emitting beneficiaries to collect on &C
cident insurance carried by the de-
ceased.