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Show JUDICIARY C0LO7EE -OKEIIS DILL CARRYCIG OUT fROVISI0;iS Senator Robinson Favors Making Retlre-. Retlre-. ment Age for Supreme Justices 75 Years, Not 70 WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (INS) President Roosevelt's proposal for increasing the supreme court today appeared headed for lengthy debate in congress as proposals for modifying modi-fying it swept through house and senate. The hoose Judiciary committee, Igneeing (ho supreme eonrt phase of the president's message, meanwhile mean-while favorably reported a bin carrying ant two of hie minor recommendations for reform of tha federal Jodioiary. Ths measures would authorise the attorney general to Intervene In any ease involving constitutionality of a federal hue, and also provided for a direct government appeal to the supreme court of any decision holding federal legislation unconstitutional. unconsti-tutional. In the senate Senator Robinson (D.), Arkansas, majority leader, announced an-nounced ho favored modifying the president's supreme court plan, to tha extent of substituting a to-rear age limit for the To years recommended recom-mended by Mr. Roosevelt This would authorise the president to appoint substitute Judges for those over 7ft years who do not retire, To Call Up BUI Representative Sumner (D.), Texas, chairman of the house Judiciary Judi-ciary committee, announced he would call upon the house floor tomorrow his bill permitting supreme su-preme court Justices to retire oa full pay at tha age of 70 Instead of being forced to realgn. "This sort of throws a monkey wrench into the president's plan, does it not?" Sumnsrs was asked. "You boys gst out of her before you get me in jam," he replied. He aald action on the president's proposal today was confined to "concluding the reading of the president's pres-ident's message to congress." Sumner, who Is known to be cool to ths proposal permitting the president pres-ident to appoint sis new supreme court justices, said ths committee would meet again Thursday. Change of One Jostles ' The only material change la Senator Sen-ator Robinson's proposal wouM be to give the president power to appoint ap-point but five new justices at once, lnstedd of six aa under his own plan. Justices Brandeia, Van Devanter and McReynolds are already 75, while Justice Sutherland will be 75 In March and Chief Justice Hughes in April. The Robinson plan would exclude Justice Butler, now 71, who was Included in the president's plan. "I think," said Robinson, "the ago should be 75 rather than TO." Robinson meanwhile pointed out the house bill, providing for retirement retire-ment of supreme court justices at 70, did not conflict with the president's presi-dent's program. This bill, already reported favorably by the house judiciary ju-diciary committee. Is oa ths house calendar. "This question of retiring supreme su-preme court justices Is entirely apart from the matter of reorganising reorganis-ing the judiciary," said Robinson. There Is no reason I know of why (CoaUntiod ee Pace Two) (Coiunui rivi) WAGNER TEST . Ill HIGH COURT tCoataraea trese Fae OMt weakening to the court' prestige. Such reason gav rla to Um suggestion sug-gestion that tht Wagner easee nor remain undecided forsoms Urns. Tho fact that too court la nluetant to act on highly controversial measures meas-ures waa Indicated by tha fallurs of tho tribunal to act yesterday on Mvcral Important issues long ponding pond-ing boforo It. At tho moment tho Wagner act tatua is: The five test cases Involving many different phase of the application of the law are due for argument immediately. There have , been several sev-eral postponement. Labor would certainly resent any general condemnation of the law, even though the present court seems certainly committed to do so. - It may take weeks and perhaps months for the president's plan for reorganisation of the court to go through, but few doubt that the apparently ap-parently certain doom of tho Wagner Wag-ner act played a part In the timing of tho president' judicial recommendations. |