BILL TO CONTROL U.S. COURT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 30, 19 February 1937, Page 5

BILL TO CONTROL U.S. COURT

i— Presa Assn.-

L Straw Vote§ Show Much Opposition DEBATE IN SENATE

(By Telegraph

-Copyright.)

(Received 19, 8.45 a.m.) WASHINGTON,, Feb. 18. Two resolutions proposing constitutional amendmentte (Limiting the Supreme Court, have been introduced into the Senate. One would perinit Congress, to re-enact by a two-third's. vote eaeh branch of a law invalidated by the Court but only after a regular elec* tion in wHch hlembers of th,e House are elected. The other prdvides the voluntary retirement of Justices at the age of 70 and compels retirement at 75. During the debate in the Senate Senator hfcKellar, in a two hour speech defending Rresident Roosevelt'a programme, was. interrupted frequently by. Senator George and Senator Connally. McKellar stated that the N.R.A. decir sion was correct but the A.A.A. and o.ther close deoisipns were , blunders. He argued that Roossvelt, by his victory at the poRs, had a mandate to do some*. thing about the Court. Senator George insisted that the plan uraa un- American but Senator Connally merely interposed questicms. Senator William Green announeed. that the American Federation of La-. bour would support the President. The. lotest poll of the Senate sliows 34 against and 33 for, with tweiity* nine uncommitted. The Christian Science Monitor held a poll- which showed that mpre than two*. thirds of its newspaper readers Who supported Rposevelt for re-election, declared themselves against the Court proposal. Only nineteen approved. Mr S. ilintpn,, Democrat member of the Senate for Indiana, in a radio address, urged the people to support Ptpsident Roosevelt 's judiciary ref orm programme to restofe the balance of the Government, which was thrown out by five of the present members of the Supreme Court Beneh. The speaker asserted that the five. justices under the present system had mora power thhn the President and Congress combined'.