The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1937-01-15
PRESIDENT ASKS
COURT REFORMS
By Federated Press

Da!ucking the necessity for de-
1lnltlve constitutional amendment.
PRESIDENT Roosevelt has submitted
70 congress a four point program
AIMED at reforming the American
judicial system.
IN q message to Congress the
PRESIDENT proposed legislation to
% provide for the appointment
OF additional judges in all federal
courts, without exception, where
there are incumbent judges of re-
Clrement age who do not choose
70 retire or to resign, (2) set up
machinery to take care of sudden
or long standing congestion in the
lower courts including appoint
ment of a proctor of the Supreme
Court whose duty it would be to
3crr1tlniZe calendars and the busi-
ness of all courts in the federal
syTtem, (3) provide that no de-
,'s on, injunction, judgment or
IT. rec on any constitutional cues
ion may be promulgated by any
G eral Cc<1rt without ample notice
70 Attorney-Ge and on
opportunity for the United States
20 present evidence and be heard
and (4) provide that cases invol-
wing constitutionality NAV be ap-
pealef, directly from the district
courts to the Supreme Court and
7uch cases shall have precedence
over pending cases.
In charging the courts the Pres
cent recommended that in no case
should the Supreme Court be en-
Jared to more than Is members
md no more than so additional
judges be added to the federal
judicial system.
The recommendations met with
cautious reception in congressional
halls, leaders preferring to study
them and consult with colleagues
before expressing an opinion.
His action, the President indi-
Gated in his message, was based
OH the present inability of the
court to keep up with the press
Of business. This inability results,
in part, from the extreme age of
some of the judges, he said, and
causes great hardship to those
unable to afford lengthy judicial
proceeding. Statistics from the
Acknowledgement on this subject
were submitted to Congress as
part of the message.
If Congress put into effect the
Presidents proposals it would re-
suit in the resignation of six of
the present justices Of the Su-
preme Court or the appointment
of six additional members, depend
ing upon the number who refuse
to resign. Justices Stone, Cardozo
and Roberts are the only ones un-
der the age of 70, the retiring age
set by the president,
"In exceptional cases, Of course,
judges, like other men retain to
an advanced age full mental and
physical vigor," the Presidents
mes cage said. "Those not so for
tunate are often unable to per
.eive their own infirmities. "They
! seem 70 NC CSLdCAOuo VI SA@C 0P~
pearance of adequacy
Modern complexities call also
for constant infusion of new
blood in the courts, just as it is
needed in executive functions Of
the government and in private bus
inc S. A lowered mental or physical
vigor leads men to avoid an exami--
nation of complicated or changed
| conL5tions. Little by little, new
facts become blurred through old
glasses. fitted as it were, for the
needs cf another generation. Older
men, assuming that the scene is
the same as it was in the past,
cease to explore or inquire into the
present or the future"
Speaking of the present conges-
tiosl OF the courts, the President
said that delay in court "makes
lawsuits luxury available only to
+ e few who can afford them or
WHO have property interests to
protect which are sufficiently large
/ - rauav the cost.