Evening star., 1937-06-04
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOUfb LINCOLN,

Wy IGOOSCFtlJ, DuU aOVPTSeiV
reported by the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee, is not to be allowed to hang
suspended indefinitely on the Senate
calendar, II the opponents of the meas
ure have aoything to say about it. They
want to give the bill the coup de grace
before Congress takes an adjournment.
we won't adjourn Congress and
leave this court bill on the Senate cal
endar," said Senator Burke of Nebraska,
a leader of the opposition. The Ne
praSka Senator was commenting upon
reports that the administration had de-
cided, since the bill could not pass the
Senate, to let 1t remain indefinitely on
the calendar. The purpose would be
to hold a club, it was said, over the
heads OF the members of the Supreme
Court, club which the administration
might swing II the court declared un-
constitutional any more of the New Deal
laws.
Senator Robinson, after a two hour
conference with the President at the
White House last night, also denied
there WAS to be any indefinite post
ponement OF the consideration of the
court bill. Indeed, the inference drawn
from his comment on the court bill sit
uation WAS that the administration in
tended to seek action on the measure,
and further. that compromise might
eventually be worked out He did not
say, however, that the President was
ready to give up his original plan for
adding six new justices to the Supreme
Court, or that the President was pre-
pared to accept an addition OF two
Justices as compromise.
The job OF the administration is to
get some kind of court bill through
the Senate, If it can; then have the
bill passed in the form the President
has recommended in the House. The
next move would be to put the bill in
conference. and out OF the conference
the administration may gain much. For
example, 1t might be possible to pass
the court reorganization bill through the
Senate-as 1t relates to the lower courts
and to the appointment of proctor and
other matters-with all provision relat-
ing to the Supreme Court eliminated.
With that as a basis, the House could
replace the Supreme Court provision and
seek a conference with the Senate.
A subcommittee, headed by Senator
King Of Utah, has been at work on the
court bill report 1t is just about ready
10 make the report, although DELAYED
by the illness OF Senator King. Mem
bers OF the opposition say that there
is no disposition whatever on the part of
the committee ma jority to DELAY a report.
IN 1act 1t had been planned to make
the report this week, and certainly 1t
Will be made k-e flrst of next week The
senate STANDS in recess until Monday
and report could not be made this
week end.
After the report has been made and
the bill Is placed on the calendar the
opponents OF the bill probably will sit
back and wait bit to see if the ad-
ministration leaders move to take it up
After a reasonable time has expired
however. If no move is made on the
part OF the administrstio the opposi-
ton will move to take the bill up for
consideration, according to Senator
Burke. The Administration supporters
Will have to decide then and there
whether they will vote not to take up
bill which the President has so ar
IDENTIFY pressed. If they vote not to take
the measure up. it will be interpreted as
meaning that they admit defeat in the
Senate.
Opponents OF the court bill in the
House and Senate would Ike verv much
to have the bill definitely acted upon
and out OF the way before the congress
sional campaign next year There are
eight or ten Democratic Senators up
Tor denomination and reelection who
are expected to vote against the court
OIL. II the bill is still hanging fire
these Senators may have some ugly
opposition in their campaign for re-
nomination on the Democratic ticket
II, on the other hand. the bill has finally
been beaten. the issue will be dead
There has been a shift toward the
opposition and away from the court bill.
IN the Senate in recent weeks. Burke
and others say that when a vote is
taken on the Presidents original bill
to increase the membership of the Su-
preme Court to ma ximum of Is. there
will be less than 40 votes cast for the
bill That would mean 81 or more
votes against it.
+++
Senator joe Robinson, the Demo-
cratic leader Of the Upper House. has a
way OF keeping the Senate informed of
the increasing prosperity of this coun-
try-under the Roosevelt administration.
Once and so often. the Democratic
leader places in the Congressional Rec
ord long list of newspaper reports and
editorials from all parts of the country,
showing the progress that has been
made. On Tuesday Senator Robinson
sought and obtained leave to print
formidable array of such reports from
one end Of the Nation to the other.
These reports, Senator Robinson said,
show that recovery in the prices Of agri-
cultural products has been "phenom-
email" A headline in the New York
Herald Tribune on May 23 said, for
example, Corn reaches 12-year peak" :"
And Senator Robinson added: Corn
top grade now brings $l.57 bushel. We
can easily recall that the price of corn
during the depression, when it could be
sold instead of being burned for fuel,
WAS approximately l8 cents a bushel.'
Robinson also called attention to the
bushel-May wheat-compared with 81
cents in 1882.
The reports submitted by Robinson
by no means were confined to agricul-
ture. They showed many industries
booming, and the banks in good shape
with very heavy deposits. The coun-
try, as Senator Robinson said, is be-
coming more and more prosperous. 1t
to ~