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Show COMMENTS FAVOR, RAP PROPOSALS Congress Stirred by Plan to Change High Court WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 V-President V-President Roosevelt's proposal today to-day for reorganization of the supreme su-preme court and lower tribunals created a stir in congress unparalleled unparal-leled by any of his recent recommendation!. recom-mendation!. Senator Robinson, Democratic leader. Immediately Issued a prepared pre-pared statement forecasting that "the substantial recommendation will receive favorable consideration considera-tion by the senate." He added that "the program of the message is in no sense a violent Innovation." But some Democrats and Republican! Repub-lican! quickly assailed the proposal. pro-posal. Minority gpokesmaa - Senator Vandenberg (R). Mich, one of the leading spokesmen for the minority, said: "I am opposed to tampering with the supreme court directly or Indirectly and particularly to any scheme for packing it. "As for the age limit, I stilt gratefully recall Justice Holmes who Increased his wisdom with the years and who was honored by the nation without a dissenting vote when he retired at ML" Senator King of Utah, a high ranking Democratic member of the Judiciary committee, which will consider the president's program, pro-gram, quickly announced he was "opposed to If Doesnt Approve T don't approve of the plan at all," King said. "Because decisions deci-sions may not suit us, I see no reason for changing the court and abandoning a Judicial system given us by the constitution." Speaker Bankhead said the mes- tContlnuod on Pair five) (Column Twu Message Gets Praise, Raps (Coottmud frees Pate One) sage contained "some very fin suggestions"- and contained nothing noth-ing to lndicat It waa directed Tit th tuprem court Other comment: Senator Ny R), N. D ."Although ."Al-though I dont want to expreaa any opinion just now on th enlargement of th court, I think the president has hit upon a moat Ingenious method of speeding up th work of our tribunals." Senator Byrne D), S. C-'Tm for It I'don't know whether it would remedy all th things he suggests, but I know it would go a long way toward restoring the confidence of th people in th courts." Bit By Snell Representative Snell of New York, house Republican leader: "The administration already has destroyed th economic stability of the country. Now it propose to destroy the judicial stability. This is pretty near th beginning and end of everything." Representative Rayburn (D), Texas, house majority leader: "I think If furnihes a wonderful basis for simplification of legislative legis-lative procedure and for expedi-' expedi-' tion of the business of the courts and of litigants." Senator Borah, (R), Idaho: "Some things In it are all right and some things I can not ace my way clear to support" Asked speciflcially about the proposal for enlarging th court if elder justices do not resign, Borah said: "I don't want to discuss that now. But it will be discussed." Senator Hitchcock D, a D.: "I think he's on the right track." Urged 'Years Ago" Chairman Ashurst (D), Ariz., of the senate Judiciary committee, to which the presidential program waa referred: "President Taft urged this many years ago." Representative Sumners (D), Texas, chairman of the house Judiciary committee which will study the message: "The proposals will be given serious consideration by our committee." com-mittee." Representative Wads w or t h R, H. V.: "It looks to me like an Indirect Indi-rect method of packing th court" Representative Fish R), N. Y.: "The message is a sheer political hypocrisy. It's sole purpose it to pack the supreme court with a favorable majority to unconstitutional unconstitu-tional measures of the new deal." Senator Norris Und), Nebraska: "The president's message has very graphically called to the attention of the country the unfortunate condition con-dition that exists in our judiciary-I judiciary-I commend and agree with every word he has said in that respect "He ha pointed out that a lawsuit law-suit in federal courts to a great extent ex-tent is a luxury the poor man cannot can-not afford and that therefor the poor ar often compelled to abandon aban-don valuable rights or to accept Inadequate In-adequate or unjust settlements because be-cause of sheer inability to finance or to await th end of a long litigation.' liti-gation.' "I doubt however, the wisdom of the remedy suggested by the president presi-dent The whole subject is a perplexing per-plexing one and I hope and believe that congress will be able to solve It" |