The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-07-01

| more imam u l.
congress nary attention.
Makes NeUs One of these was
probably as cou-
rageous position as any group OF
senators ever has taken. The other
action-by majority of the house
was shot through with the utmost
coWardice and selishness.
Lately, group of senator's, near
ly all Democrats, took their political
lives in their hands and delivered
to the senate report from its judi
clary committee advising defeat of
President Roosevelt's proposal to
add six new justices of his own
choosing to the Supreme court of
the United States.
In my time in Washington, I be-
leve l can say without qualifica-
ton, there never has been a COM
mittee action in the house or SEN
ate in which the President, as the
leader of the dominant party, re-
ceived such a castigation on legis-
lative proposal as was given Mr..
Roosevelt by Democrats who con-
stituted the majority of the senate
judiciary committee. They did not
mince words in any respect. What
ever may be the merit of Mr.. Roos
evelt'S proposal to add six justices
of his own choosing to the highest
court, the majority report of the
judiciary committee left no stone
unturned in disclosing objections to
the proposal as opponents of the
court reorganization scheme see
them.
Almost on the same day that
senate Democrats were, in effect,
breaking or revolving from the Pres
ident's leadership, the Democratic
majority in the house killed off a
proposal for new taxes in the Dis
trict of Columbia that would have
resulted in taxing the salaries of
representatives and senators and
their office stats. They were brazen
about it. They were not going to
vote an income tax upon them
selves and they made no effort to
conceal their reasons for refusing
to accept the recommendations of
a special tax subcommittee which
was acting for the permanent COM
mittee in the house of the District
of Columbia.
The District of Columbia COM
mittee, examining the budget for
the seat of the federal government,
was confronted with a deficit in
the district finances and instructed
its tax subcommittee to develop new
sources of revenue in order that
the District of Columbia might not
get into debt. Among the taxes pro-
posed was tax on income of res
idents of the District of Columbia,
which is Synonymous with Wash
ington, and it provided for taxing
earnings heres whether the person
who earned the income was resi-
dent of the capital city or not.
That was too much. The majority
in the house of representatives just
could not take it. They voiced their
objections openly and, being supe-
rior in numbers to those who be-
lieved that income in the District
of Columbia should be taxed, they
forced the tax bill back to the
District of Columbia committee for
revision. Indeed, they went further.
The line of criticism of an income
tax that would touch the sacred
salaries of congressman and SEN
ators was such as to have the effect
of forcing the committee to bring
in a tax bill that would increase
the tax on property in the federal
area. Now, it is a fact that few
members of the house and very
small number of senators have
bought residences in Washington.
They usually live in apartments or
hotels or lease homes for the period
that congress is in session. Conse-
quently, a real estate tax will not
concern most of the representative
and senators.
The indictment brought against
the Presidents court plan by the
-, sen tie judiciary
Court Ftdn committee was
Report quite unusual n
many respects.
In the first instance, it was ap-
proximately fifteen thousand words
in length; being in that regard prob
ably the longest and most COM
prehensive analysis that any con-
gressional committee ever has
made of a piece of legislation. Ger
tainly, it is the most extensive ex-
animation to be included in COM
mittee report in the last quapter of
century.
Every argument advanced by the
administration in support of the
plan was picked to pieces and held
up to public gaze; every possible
reason for expansion of the court
by the addition of six new justices
was scrutinized and denounced and,
then, the committee put forth some
of its own ideas.
cit applies force to the judiciary"
the committee said in a sentence
that constituted one paragraph and
thereby was emphasized.
"The only argument for the in
crease which survives analysis" the
report added, ''is that congress
should enlarge the court so as to
make the policies of this administra-
ton effective"
The bill was found by the seven
Democrats and three Republicans
who constituted a majority of the
senate judiciary committee, to be
ga needless, futile and utterly dan
gerous abandonment of constitution
al principle" 1t charged that the
american system" of independ-
ence of the courts would be violated
and that if the bill were to be en-
acted into law, political control"
over the judiciary branch of the
government would pass into the