Evening star., 1937-02-22
Hearings on Rooseve|t's
Supreme Court Shake-Up
Project viii Be Given
March 9 by Committee.
JURISIS MAY APPEAR,
BUT ASHURST IS SILENT
President Calls Farm Federation
Representatives and Secretary
Wallace to White House Con-
ference to Discuss Proposed
Shake-Up of Highest Tribunal.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Hearings on President RooSevelt's
court reorganization bill will be begun
by the Senate Judiciary Committee on
March 9, it was announced today after
the committee had reported favorably
the House bill authorizing the volun-
tary retirement Of Supreme Court JUS
tices after they have reached the age
of 10.
Asked whether the Supreme Court
Justices would be invited to appear be-
fore the committee at the hearings on
the Presidents judiciary program,
Chairman Ashurst replied:
Il have nothing to say on that at
this time
Later. however, Ashurst added that
IT any of the justices expressed a de-
sire to be heard, the committee would
be glad to have them appear.
The Houses voluntary retirement
bill was approved by vote of l3 to
5, without amendment The five
Senators voting against were Borah,
Idaho, Burke, Nebraska; Pittman,
Nevada; Steiwer, Oregon, and King,
Utah.
McCarran Sees Passage.
Senator McCarran of Nevada, chair
man of the subcommittee in charge of
the voluntary retirement BILL had re-
ported the measure favorably to the
full committee at today's meeting. He
said later he would prepare the report
for the full committee and submit it
tomorrow if the Senate is in session.
At any rate, he will report it at the
first meeting of the Senate and hopes
to have it considered this week.
McCarran expressed the opinion the
bill would pass the Senate by large
vote.
An amendment offered by Senator
Borah proposed to strike from the
House bill the provision that Supreme
Court justices who have retired may
later be assigned to service in the
lowep courts was defeated.
Senator Pittman offered an amend
ment which would provide that a
two-thirds vote of the Supreme Court
could summon retired justices for
active work. Senator Van Nuys, DEM
ocrat, of Indiana, offered a motion to
postpone action on the voluntary re-
tirement bill for one week.
ALI the amendments were defeated.
Proponents to Be Heard First.
The Senate committee decided to
hear first proponents of the Presi-
dents bill, under which it would be
possible to increase the membership
of the Supreme Court by six Motions
were made in the committee to begin
the hearings on March Is and on
March 81. These were voted down,
however. and the committee fixed
March 9 for the opening of hearings.
While the Senate committee was
meeting, Mr.. Roosevelt was awaiting
at the White House representatives of
the American Farm Bureau Fedora
tion to discuss the judiciary bill. Sec
retary of Agriculture Wallace was ex-
pected to attend this conference also.
The president of the federation, Ed
ward A. O'Neal, headed the delega-
ton. They were to meet with the
President at 1890 pm in the Presi-
dents study.
In addition to ONeal and Wallace,
the group included j. E. Winslow,
president of the North Carolina Farm
Bureau; N. c. Williamson, president
of the Louisiana Cotton Cooperative
Association; r. E. Short, president of
the Arkansas Farm Bureau; Donald
kirkpatrick, Illinois Agricultural As
sociation; L. C. Trousedale, rice
grower of Houston, Tex; Ransom
Aldrich. cotton grower of Mississippi;
Harold Young, cotton grower of
Arkansas; George T. Chance cotton
grower of Texas; Ace G. Lucas presi-
dent of the Texas Agricultural As
sociation, and c. G. Henry Of the Tri-
State Cotton Association Of Memphis,
Tenn.
President Seeks Aid.
The President hopes to align the
American Farm Bureau Federation
with him in the fight to pass the ju-
dietary bill. The National Grange
already has indicated opposition to
that part of the bill which would au-
thorize an increase in the membership
Of the Supreme Court
Some Senators have expressed the
opinion that enactment of the volun-
tary retirement measure, which sup
plements the Presidents recommended
tions, might result in one or two
Withdrawals from the high tribunal
and ease tension over the court issue.
Opponents are seeking to split the
(See JUDICIARY, Page A-2.(