Evening star., 1937-02-07
Capital Sizzles
With Views on
Proposal.
SENATE GROUP
FIRST TO ACT
Committees of Both
Houses to Debate
This Week.
RY GOULD LINCOLN.

BY g. GOULD LlNCOLN.
The National Capital continued to
sizzle yesterday over President Roose-
velt's proposal to increase the size OF
the Supreme Court, while administra-
ton leaders in Congress laid plans to
consider the administrations judiciary
bill.
House and Senate Judiciary COM
mittees will have the bill before them
this week for discussion. Chairman
Ashurst of the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee announced yesterday re will for
mally introduce the bill when the Sem
ate meets tomorrow. The President S
message and the accompanying bill
were referred to the committee by the
Senate at its last session. The Sen
ate committee meets tomorrow morn
ing, its regular meeting day. As
hurst said he had no doubt there
would be discussion of the President S
proposal at that meeting.
The House Judiciary Committee is
TO meet Tuesday. 1t, too, has the
Presidents message and bill before it
for consideration, and Chairman
Summers of Texas said it would come
up for discussion on Tuesday. The
measure was formally introduced in
the House by Representative Maverick
Of Texas soon after it had been re-
ceived from the White House. Chair
man Summers declined to comment
upon the merits of the bill. This left
the impression at least that he might
have reservations concerning it.
Senator Bailey "Amazed."
The first loud blast from Demo-
cratic sources against the Presidents
proposal to increase or change the
membership of the Supreme Court
came from Senator Bailey of North
Carolina. Said Senator Bailey:
THE Presidents attack upon the
Supreme Court and the proposal that
he be given the power to appoint SiA
new justices amazed me. My regret
Is inexpressible. The implications o1
his message are obvious I fear that
his action will do him inmeasurable
injury.
Il have no doubt of my duty in the
matter. Receptive to any reasonable
suggestion to improve our judicial
procedure, I shall do all I can to
preserve the independence of the
judiciary and that respect for the
judicial branch of the Government
which always has been and always
will be indispensable to the national
stability. On the floor of the Senate
in due season I hope fully to discuss
the matter"
King Joins Opposition.
Senator King of Utah is another
Democrat, member of the Judiciary
Committee, who opposes the proposed
legislation. He said yesterday:
II regard the Supreme Court as the
greatest judicial body in the world.
1t has lived up to the responsibilities
any measure that will emasculate it
or impair its usefulness. Our Gov
ernment is tripartite. You could not
have constitutional Government
without a judiciary. and no measure
should be adopted that would impair
the judiciary. because that would be
an assault upon our form of Gov
ernment.
THE present members of the
Supreme Court are men of great
ability and lofty patriotism. Their
record will compare favorably with
that of their illustrious predecessors
and certainly confirm the view that
the United States Supreme Court Is
the greatest judicial tribunal that the
world has ever produced. The present
Judges are able to discharge their
duties. Notwithstanding the tremen-
dous amount of work it has been their
duty to perform, they have measured
up to every requirement, and their
docket is now current. There Is no
necessity for increasing the number
Of justices, nor any need Of forcing the