The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-06-01

ecutive, was significant. Much New Deal legislation had passed dis cretionary power to the President.
 In January, 1885, argument was heard on the famous gold cases, involving major steps taken by the government in connection with the monetary problem. Suits involving the outlawing of the gold clause in private obligations such as indus trial bonds, in gold clause issues of U. s. bonds, and the calling in of gold-back certificates at face value were heard by the court.
 World Markets Jittery World markets became jittery and remained so until the decision on Feb. 18. Hughes and Roberts joined with the three outstanding liberals to uphold the acts while four regularly conservative justices dissented. Refusal to honor liberty bonds in gold value was held un- constitutional by all but Stone but the normal result, an $l1,000,000,0 ,000 increase in the public debt, was avoided by technicality. The Spring of 1885 saw the court condemn, in rapid succession, the MIRA, Frazier-Lemke Farm mort gage moratorium act, and the re- moval of William E. Humphrey, Federal trade commissioner. The court adjourned for the summer 8 week later.
 The Fall of. 1885 the administra- tion farm program was under @ heavy attack. Appeals were on file in the court challenging AAA and its processing taxes and the Bank head cotton control act.
 An appeal challenging IVA op- perations also was filed. It involved operations at Wilson Dam.
 Administration lawyers were pressed hard to defend the cases. They were argued at almost the same time. On Jan. 6, 1886, the court handed down its historic AAA decision, voiding that law as an invasion of states rights. The vote was to 3, Hughes and Roberts joining with the four conservatives Van Devanter, McReynolds, George Sutherland and Pierce Butler.
 Reed Collapsed In Court
 During argument on the validity of the Bankhead act, Solicitor Gen. eral Stanley Reed, asked series of rapid fire questions by the court, collapsed. He was working day and night preparing arguments. The Bankhead acts validity was never decided. Congress repealed the law and the companion acts, the Kerr Tobacco control law and the potato control law.
 A month later the court voted 8 to 1 to sustain the administra- tion in IVA. It confined its opin- ion to the properiety of producing. distributing and selling power as a secondary operation at Wilson Dam, a war project, but did not commit itself on possible future tests.
 In the same term of court, end- ing a year ago, the court con- demned the refusal of the Securi- ties and Exchange Commission to permit J. Edward Jones to with draw his registration of oil parti- cipating certificates when they were requested. The court out-lawed the Guffey coal control act because of its labor provisions by 6 to 3 vote. Hughes concurred in the de- cision but held the court should have considered the trade practice acts of the law.
 Minimum Wage Knocked Out It also condemned the Municipal bankruptcy act, 5 to 4. On the score of state legislation 1t condemned New York's minimum wage law for women.
 The terms just ended began in an atmosphere of the Presidential campaign.
 | Before any decisions were hand ed down President Roosevelt was re-elected by a huge majority. Then the new year brought the court reform fight.
 Decisions handed down during the rest of the term and prior to announcement of Van Devanters retirement were either entirely in favor of the New Deal or fell short of any condemnation of 1t.
 The outstanding decisions involved