May 17: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Senator M.M. Logan (D., Ky.) announced today that he would offer three modifications to President Roosevelt’s judiciary reorganization bill and predicted that one of them would be reported favorably to the Senate. ‘I am sure that the president’s bill will be modified in the Judiciary Committee tomorrow and reported favorably,’ Logan, an administration supporter, said. He declined to say definitely whether the administration men on the committee had decided to support a compromise. Logan took leadership of compromise efforts in a move which some believed might have been inspired by other administration leaders, although they insisted they were standing firm for an increase of six justices in the Supreme Court. Logan’s principal compromise would provide: That the Supreme Court shall permanently be fixed at nine members, but that this number may temporarily be increased from time to time. To achieve this increase he would provide that justices should be eligible for retirement at 75 years if they have served ten years on the court. If, within six months after becoming eligible, a justice fails to retire, the president may appoint an additional justice to the court. Such additional justices may be appointed for each justice who fails to retire as permitted, but the court would not permanently be increased. The court could never have more than nine justices under 75 years of age.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Eagle reported, “It looked, last night, like a paradise for Sunday drivers today — if they can get out on the open road. Gasoline rationing in 17 eastern states already had thinned automobile traffic through the Holland Tunnel and on usually busy highways. Reason: many gasoline stations, their May 10 stocks exhausted, had closed down until the next delivery, on Wednesday. With or without ration cards, therefore, a motorist having a full tank can drive out to New Jersey or Long Island today and find roads pleasantly free of traffic. But the driver counting on picking up his gas on the way had better — and no doubt will — stay home.”
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