Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-12-06
SupreneCourt
Faces Heavy
Docket Ahead
DaIIy ITepdtcn siureau,
In the Si Walter Hotel

Raleigh. Dec. 6.-J,lstices of North
Cardinals Supreme Court doubt that
there is a Santa Claus. Thew reached
this state of skepticism after taking
one look at their calendar for next
week.
1t includes: CD Six capital felony
appeals; GU three specially set cases
Of great intricacy as we'll as impor-
lance; CD two dozen civil appeals,
including one involving the effect of
the constitutional amendment adopt
ed at the polls in 1888 and providing
fOur-year terms for SheriffS; and az
Il criminal case in which no less than
1882 exceptions were noted by de-
Tense counsel.
The capital felonies probably will
consume no unusual length of time,
either in argument or decision; but
there is always something about them
which causes the judges to be a bit
more palnStaSing in considering
every point of argument
Under the next head-the special
ly set cases-there is work enough
ahead to keep the whole court busy
for an appreciate length of time; as
Stunning, as it must be assumed that
The record is really studied
The two causes are CD the display
tax" case in which Best and Com
pany, has secured a rehearing after
The court once ruled that the States
ak levy on display Of goods, wares
and merchandise in hotel rooms is
properly subject to taxation; and (2)
the two cases (rom Guilford and
Yadkin) involving High Points right
to construct tremendous hydroelec-
trio power project on the Yadkin
river, principally with PWA funds.
The first will be largely matter
OF deciding whether the court over
looked any important point in its first
decision, though the actual arguments
are likely to be prOtracted and in
vOlVed unless the Chief Justice limits
counsel as to time
But look what the court has in the
two High Point cases-in which the
is appealing from lower
court judgments holding it cannot
build the dam on the Yadkin.
The Guilford case, to begin with.
The mere title Of the cause requires
the whole front page Of the record. |
It's entitled J. w. Quinn, on behalf of
the City OF High Point, and Duke
Power Company, by intervention and
there following the names of
a large number of corporations and
business concerns which seek to pre-
vent the building Of the dam, VS. "City
Of High Point" and a long list of
its officials
The record, alone, consists of 952
printed pages, with two page index
not numbered. This is followed by
four page list Of exhibits and then
an 'Appendix Of Exhibits which
covers 226 printed pages. The ex-
hibits themselves fill almost to over
flowing two large pasteboard car
tons.
A pretty good beginning, which is
followed by the Yadkin case record |
of 676 printed pages, with an "Ap-
pendlX OF Exhibits" no less than 1873
pages long There is also four page
index.
All Of which presents the court
with a rather coy little reading mat
ter Of 1897 pages. This, remember.
IS only the dry and dusty record. The
briefs (Which will be anything else
but thaD are yet to come.
The whole question, of course, is
or not the Yadkin river is
navigable; and acting on the idea of
deciding that only, the court may
eventually get around to settling the
case.
The criminal case in which n ore
than a thousand exceptions were not
ed IS that Of w. t. Wilson, once
mayor Of Winston-Salem who was
convicted of embezzlement of funds
while serving as Public Guardian. He
was sentenced to serve from six to
eight years.