Evening star., 1932-05-05
HUGHES DECLARES
NEED OF STRONGER
LAW FOUNDATIONS
Chief Justice, Addressing In
stitute, Stresses Full Con-
Sideration of Problems.
WICKERSHAM URGES
STUDY OF PENAL LAWS
Present Statutes Fail to Prevent
Large and Varied Amount of
Crime, He Says.

Members Of the American Law In
stitute were urged to strengthen the
foundations of law and society, by Chief
Justice Charles Evans Hughes today.
Addressing the tenth annual session
of the institute at the Mayf1ower HOTEL
Chief Justice Hughes warned against
the error of perfecting the superStruc-
ture of law if the foundations are left
insecure.
Although praising the institute for its
valuable work in preparing restatements
of the law, the Chief Justice also
stressed the necessity for full consider
alton of more pressing problems.
I'VE ere living in a time of many
anxieties" he said. But discourage
ment pays no dividends. It is not a
time for relaxing effort. but for re-
doubling it, for increased activity on
every front. The influence Of the mem
bers of this body pervadeS every COM
munity. Their special task in this or
ganization is reconcile one, but their
interests in the administration of JUS
tice far transcends the limits of that
task While we are concerned with the
higher realms of legal thought we can
not ignore problems, even more press
ing, that concern the supremacy of law.
supreme Court Purpose.
He declared the unceasing purpose
Of the Supreme Court is Ito maintain
the integrity of constitutional sys-
tenn designed to keep government
within its assigned limits and, in the
interest of an ordered liberty, to es-
tablish the rule of reason, recognizing
and applying declared principles"
George w. Wickersham, president of
the institute, emphasized the "neces-
sity for a careful study of our penal
laws, with a view to determining
whether or not they are reasonably
adapted to social conditions in a time
like the present"
The former Attorney General called
on the members to study the laws of
crime, not only with view to defini-
society as a whole.
That our present laws fail to pre-
vent a large and varied amount of
crime must be obvious to all intelligent
observers" he said. Too often, the
only result of punishment is to create
and saddle professional criminals as
lifelong burdens on society"
Mr.. Wickersham also told the men,
bers recent survey showed "the ranks
OF the unemployed, in proportion to
their numbers" produce more persons
other branches of society
Eleven Elected Members.
Eleven men were elected to member
ship on the institutes council of SO
members
Those elected are Benjamin N. Car
dozo, vice president of Institute and
associate justice of United States Su-
preme Court; Frederick F. Faville Judge
Of S1nror11p Cnl1rt of 7
Grubb, Federal judge, Alabama district;
William Brown Hale, Chicago attorney;
Learned Hand, Federal judge. New York
district; Orrin K. McMurray, dean of
University Of California Law School;
Emmett N. Parker, Judge of Washington
State Supreme Court; William D.
Mitchell. Attorney General of United
States; Edgar Bronson Tolman, Chicago
attorney and editor of American Bar
Association Journal; George w. Eheeler,
retired Chief Judge of Connecticut;
George w. Wickersham, former United
States Attorney General, chairman of
President Hoover's Committee on Law
Observance and Enforcement and presi-
dent of American Law Institute.
Members of the American Judicature
Society, meeting yesterday in connec-
tion with the institute were told by
Newton D. Baker, former Secretary of
War, that American lawyers should be
constantly in search of new ideas.
Although introduced as "a former
resident of Washington, who may pos
sibly live here again." Mr. Baker care
fully refrained from any political ref
erence last night at the societys an
nual dinner, over which he presided as
toaStmaster. Charles A. Boston of New
York, former president Of the An1eri-
can Bar Association, was the principal
speaker at the dinner