Evening star., 1951-04-28
District Judges
Ask S18,731 for
Law Library
New FedeorI Courts
Building Occupancy
Set for March, 81

Set for March, 81
With the new Federal Courts
. ding at John Marshall place
a. Constitution avenue NV
81 uled to be ready for occu-
~ early next year, the Housel
As opriations Committee today
W. asked to approve an $l8, ,731l
la library for the use Of all the
ju yes.
Tllis was disclosed when hear
trs of the subcommittee conSid-
er.ag appropriations for the ju-
dissary for the coming fiscal year
Wseee made public. Chief Judge
Bqlitha j. Laws of District Court
made spirited plea for the new
library.
David Lynn, architect of the
Csseitol. was asked by the SUBJ
cc mittee chairman, Representa-
tiv Rooney. Democrat, of New
Yo-k. when the new building will
be completed.
Occupancy by March, 1852.
They expect to get complete
occupancy of the new building by
March. 1852, but they may be able
to start to move before that time
lit may be as early as January, u
M. Lynn replied.
Judge Laws told the subcom-
mittee: 1--WE are trying our level
best to talk them into expediting
1t because we are in such a bad
fix. think they are trying to do
it. When they get us out of the
old building, then the defense
agencies want that one."
In making plea for the new
library, Judge Laws pointed out
that the original estimate of $31.-
2ll, IS was trimmed as an economy
measure to $18,731. The jurist
cited present difficulties for judges
in waiting for books from the Bar
Association library, which occupies
part of the present District Court
building.
Must Decide Quickly.
Judge Laws said trial Judges
must make quick decisions to save
the time of people waiting and
they need ready reference to the
required law volumes. He said he
has had to wait as long as three
quarters of an hour to get a book
for which there was so much de-
mand.
Judge Laws pointed out that
the District Court judges, engaged
in trials, cannot wait to secure
books from the Library of Con-
gress.
Il have been trying with all my
might tC make this the largest and
most important trial court in our
Nation, one of the very best"
Judge Laws told the subcommit-
tee.
He observed the Attorney Gen.
eral has control of the present
courthouse, but added: I'VE will
have control of the new one"
Points to New York City"
Judge Laws drew attention to
the fact that New York City has
"a Federal judges with $4,000 law
books available there. Here, IS
judges have 10,072 volumes-just
about half. he said. There is more
litigation here, because the Cab
met officers are here, the jurist
explained.
Judge E. Barrett Prettyman of
the United States Court of Ap-
peals, and Judge Alexander Holtz-
off of District Court, also appeared
before the subcommittee and urged
the item for the new law library
Judge Prettyman pointed out:
I'VE have a great deal of additional
business coming to us from the
Federal bureaus. This is vastly
increasing and requires a great
deal of research. This is a reason
why we ought to be better
equipped"
Chief Judge Marvin Jones of the
Court of Claims told the sub
committee the Budget Bureau and
General Services Administration
are considering new quarters for
his tribunal. The court is now
at Seventeenth street and Penn
sylvania avenue NV, next door to
Blair House. The present court
building would be used for other
purposes and the tribunal would
use the Court of Appeals build
ing at Fifth and E streets NV,
as well as part of the third floor
of District Court, under one plan
being considered, Judge Jones ex-
planned.
Would Lift Pay Limit.
Elmore Whitehurst, assistant
director of the Administrative
Office, United States Courts, called
the subcommittee's attention to
the present limit of $3.50 annually
on the $40 daily received by jury
commissioners in the District. He
pointed out they work far more
than Is days annually and urged
the limit be removed by legisla-
ton.
Register of Wills Theodore Cogs-
well wants two additional posi-
tions at $2,875 each in his Office
to aid the accounting department
to catch up with its work.
Justice Harold H. Burton of the
Supreme Court told the subcom-
mittee that the oil painting of the
late Chief Justice Harlan F..
Stcne is completed and the bust
is partially complied. He recon-
naended an appropriation of ST.
900 to begin lamination and
preservation of some of the signif-
icant old Supreme Court docu-