The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-22

 would save at least a mild version of the less controversial proposals in the judiciary measure.
 All Hope Abandoned
 All hope of any change in the membership of the supreme court was abandoned by the administra- ton leaders, 1t was understood, and they virtually agreed that the op- position should take a leading role in framing the settlement, if one can be agreed upon.
 Chairman Henry F. Ashurst of the committee stood at the door of the judiciary room in the Capitol, lish- ering members to their seats as they arrived.
 "It's just a social gathering" he said when reporters asked why Garner, Barkley and Wheeler--ri members of the cpmmittee-were present,
 Sen. Pat McCarran, d., New, and Sen. Edward R. Burke, d., Neb., who proposed that the entire issue be dropped so that congress could quit immediately, were among the last to arrive.
 Accept Any Compromise
 Congressional leaders said MT. Roosevelt was willing to accept al- most any compromise but was press ing for a vote this year on other New Deal bills in an effort to avoid long 1888 session of congress.
 The leaders decided to devote to- days senate debate to the routine calendar and to MT. Roosevelt's veto of a bill to continue low in- terest rates on federal land bank farm mortgages.
 They believed a 24 hour breath- ing spell would enable them to de- termine whether congress Is to scuttle the court bill and go home or attempt to salvage some of It's less controversial sections, pass upon some of the other New Deal business now pending and obtain adjournment until the next regular session of congress-, beginning in January.
 Mr. Roosevelt refused yesterday to agree to summary adjournment. He again advanced his desirable list of legislation including wages and hours, the farm bill low cost housing, executive department re- organization and plug for tax loopholes.
 Legislators Uncertain
 Best informed legislators were un. certain today whether MT. Roose- welt would accept Q portion of that program or would press through the senate leadeship for showdown vote now or @ recess until October, when congress could return to Washington for five or six weeks and pick up the burden where 1t was discarded in midsummer.
 Two jubilant leaders of the six months senate fight against the Judiciary bill demanded that con. gress abandon the program and go home.
 Their proposal rammed head-on into the administration efforts to salvage at least some of the less controversial parts of the original measure affecting the lower courts, as distinguished from the aban- doned plan for increasing member ship of the supreme court.
 Led by Vice-President John N. Garner and Majority Leader Alben W. Barkley, the administration forces called an extraordinary meet ing of the senate judiciary commit tee this morning in an apparently final effort to work out settlement agreeable to--if not dictated by the opposition. Even that program faced grave difficulties.
 Only Personal Opinions
 Expressing only their personal opinions, Senator Edward R. Burke, democrat, Nebraska, and Senator Pat McCarran, democrat, Nevada, two of the most vigorous foes Of the court bill proposed that the entire problem be dropped until the next session of congress.
 The senate was expected today to adjorun until Monday while the leaders worked out Q court bill pro- gram in which the principal features of MT. Roosevelt's bill would be abandoned.
 Several plans of procedure were under discussion, but 1t was under stood that the administration forces desired to prevent formal recom- mitment of the pending court bill to the judiciary committee for fear that 1t would never come out fgain.
 Instead, they were believed hope full that the committee would work out @ new measure acceptable to all factions and submit 1t on the senate hoor-possibly accompanied by a constitutional amendment such as the proposal to compel re- tirement of federal judges at 76 years of age.
 Has Whip Hand
 Administration leaders freely ad- mitted that the opposition had the whip hand" and that the outcome depended on their willingness to cooperate in working out Q solu- ton.
 Barkley pointed out, however, that several bills which have been passed by the house and which would carry out the proposed lower court changes were now pending before the Judiciary committee.
 Questioned on adjournment plans Barkley declined to comment other than to say that "a lot depends" on developments this weekend. An- other authoritative administration source said, however, that 1t did not appear likely that any legisla- ton could get through except to plug tax loopholes. At the same time, 1t was asserted that the pres- ident still is hopeful that action can be had on the wages and hours