Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-05-31
BY RAYMOND BROOKS

AUSTIN, May 30.-A speakership
race IS III the making that the
June special session may decide.
More than 60 or the present house
members nave slgred pledges 10
support Rep. A. r. Johnson OF
Carrie Springs If they return to
the legislature after next years
! elections.
This was a development Of the
! race. previously c~hroniclod, IN
which Rep. Johnson and Rep. Coke
Stevenson OF junction came to the
front as the two group leaders
potentially II the next race.
Mr. Stevenson was an anti-bond
leader. Whether or not he Is 50
strong personally III his support Of
James x. Ferguson. his following
IL largely that Of members friend
ly TO the Ferguson policies.
MIR. johnson was n Of the most
consistent workers for the high
way bond plan. He is a firm friend
OF Gov. Ross S. Sterling. He was
the leader in an important tax re-
form crusade that failed finally IN
the senate.
IN the special session. his friends
who are sponsoring the speaker
ship move. will bid for the grand
slam" OF assurances that the cleo
ton can be effected on the first
ballot. 50 far as present members
are concerned.
In the court redistricting bill ex-
Dected at the special session. Rep.
I. J. Burns Of Brady Will have a
chance to rewrite the bill that be-
came famous in its disappearance,
floating down the BraZos river al
Waco. during the regular session.
Mr.. Burns likely Will moderate the
bill. deciding that one ab0lishing
SO many district courts cannot be
passed at all.
One change will be to broaden
the territory of some of the exist
ing courts. not TO cancel out the
only existing court in any territory
but 70 cut the MULTIPLICATION OF
courts IN such counties as Bexar
Tarrant. Dallas and Harris. The
regrouping OF the courts IS more
important than the possible elimi-
nation or a district judge some
where.
"A cheek AGAINST the further Gre
alton NJ new courts would be more
valuable than anv other SINGLE
thing that judicial redistricting
might do.
The Texas civil judicial advisory
council. after spending some pub
lie money IN its sessions. secured
passage Of eight o. iIine minor
bills brought ogt as simplifying
civil procedure.
Their effect will relate wholly e
the lawyer and not TO the client.
1t will be recalled that the law
yerS OF this civil advisory council
declined 10 approve the bill Great
ing the small claims courts in
which l!tlgalts could fight over
small items without having TO hire
a couple OF lawyers. The small
claims courts were not created.
1t seems that practically the net
result OF the civil advisory Judicial
councils creation, appointment. ex-
penditures and report. was that
the legislature spent the time o.
passing eight or nine bis that viii
make 10 a little more c0nvenien.
for the lawyer who has a case "a
prepare his part Of the record fol
trial. without making very much
difference TO the plaintiff or def
endant one way q the other
50 far as remedying conspicuous
defects that involved life and death
OF accused persons, o. course the
ci-'l advisory council was not con-
cerned. being limited IN its scope
Neither was the le~gislatu-- mucF
concerned, for the recommends,
ton OF the criminal appeals cour,
was ignored. and now IN the Dave
Goodwin case. Gov. Sterling. WhC
Is not a lawyer, must take over III:
administration OF justice If what
criminal appeals court said 4
justice shall prevail.
AUSTIN. MAY 3o.-When John J
Raskob. democratic national chair
man. sent questtonnaires to all na-
tional committeeman ard state
chairmen 20 get a line on their
attitude toward a prohibition mod
ification plank next year. it wa:
a considerable lob.
The writer has just seen copies
Of letters which Jouett Shousa. the
national executive committee chair