The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-05-28

POWCA Va VAAS ANANGA "USS ~ASS
Blue Eagle.
He was a Golden Eagle. In
his claws was not a blue ban
ner. But a bright Red one.
He Haunted, somehow, an ag-
gressive independence. He said
in his bold colors and in the
constitutional set of his jaw that
he was a fellow not to be
coerced by flighty new ideas.
He was a bad omen for the
MIRA.
It was no surprise to me
after having seen him that the
chickens in the NRA poultry
code came home to roost on the
shoulders of the Administra'
ton.
I. an inexperienced listener
to the rendering of Supreme
Court decisions, thought that
Chief Justice Hughes would
never come to his final bomb
shell conclusion about the NRA.
To any conclusion.
He began his opinion and
ended it with an air Of complete
conviction. The tone OF his
beautiful voice said that def
nitely he knew what he was
about. But he took a mighty
long time to tell what was on
his mind and on the minds OF
the other august Justices.
The opinion, during the first
half hour of its telling seemed
to indicates that there was
much to be said on both Sides.
There was "whereases" and
"howevers." Long involved sen.
tences, Notwithstanding"
provisions" This was an inn
porant clause and affected the
decision: 1.-THE poultry had
come to q permanent rest within
the State of New York" Cried
broiled or steWed not indlcated).
Despite such involvement,
when the last words (perhaps
they will be the last rites) were
said, everybody understood the
answer to be final. 1t was
mo" for the MIRA.
The Supreme Court room, al
WAYS impressive, was tied up in
a knot of intensity for an hour
before / o'clock when the MIA
decision was read. Most Of the
faces peering up at the dis
tinguished gentlemen in black
robes, were legal and judicial
faces. Or faces related by mar
rage to such an attitude.
Certainly there were some
poultry faces around. And rep"
ortorial faces--they are every"
where in Washington.
Except for the slow reading
of the decisions, there was al
most no sound. A few people
like myself who had been
squeezed into special places in
cane-seated chairs, moved now
and then. And the cane seats
squeaked.
In such general solmnity, I
had an attack of sneezing. 1
thought I'd die of humiliation.
The opinion in the Frazer
Lemke case was an important
verdict. But it was the poultry
ruling on the power of the
MIRA to regulate wages and
hours Of work that was the
great thrill. ! saw Donald
Richberg, who had made the
argument for the Government,
q few weeks ago before the
court, in the front row Of the
chamber.
solicitor General Stanley
Reed was there, too. And Harry
Blair, Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral. Mrs. Richberg, Mrs. Rob
erts, wife of the Associate JUS
tice, Mrs. Hughes, listening ear
nestly to her husband. Judge
and Mrs. Laurence Groner, Mrs.
Frank West, Senator Pat Harri-
son and Huston Thompson were
others in the attentive crowd.
The Olympians in the black
robes were quite unconscious OF
their audience, or so they
seemed. Associate Justice Car
doza .thrummed Ln the desk
ever so often. But the other
Justices might have been reaf.
firrning the laws of the Modes
and the PerSianS. So compla-
cent were they.
The Supreme Court, I am con-
WINGED, is the nearest approach
to majesty in American Gov
eminent. After the clerk of the
Court had called "Oyez, Oyez,
the Honorable Chief Justice and
Associate Justices of the Su-
preme Court" the nine wise and
venerable gentlemen came ma.
jestically to their elevated ros-
trllm.
When, at the end of the Ses-
sion, the gavel fell, the crowd
Jumped. to its feet. But there
was no applause. The tension
was over.
Nothing to worry about" one
man said. TITS only power the
MIRA hasn't got. That can be
Strengthened out. by June 49,"
"Oh, YEAH" answered a near
oy listener. "All have to say
is that most Of those little NRA