CENTRAL LAW JOURNAL

Central Law Journal.

ST. LOUIS, MO., JANUARY 5, 1917.

THE NEW COVER DESIGN.

For over forty years, following the usual practice of purely scientific and professional periodicals in England and America, we made use of the front page of the Journal for advertising purposes. While the practice persists in England, the sentiment among American readers is against it, and in response to that sentiment we have adopted, beginning with the first number of this new volume, a cover design that will contain no objectionable advertising features. Hereafter the table of contents will be printed in black face type on the front cover page, thus serving the convenience of the reader in finding that which most interests him.

REFORMING FEDERAL PROCEDURE.

Hon. Thomas W. Shelton, of Norfolk, Va., informs the editor that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary has favorably reported the American Bar Association's bill (Sen. 4551), vesting in the Supreme Court of the United States the same power to make rules of procedure on the law side as it has always had on the equity side.

The announcement is encouraging, as it is in the Senate that this bill has met defeat in

the last three sessions. This is the first time that the bill has had the support of the Judiciary Committee, who are now thoroughly committed to the proposition.

Mr. Shelton, who is chairman of the committee promoting this legislation, says that active opposition is expected from Senators Thomas J. Walsh, James A. Reed, Hoke Smith, Albert B. Cummins and possibly others. He urges that members of the bar co-operate to influence senators and representatives in favor of this

measure.

1

The hope of the American Bar Association is that the Supreme Court will appoint a representative committee of lawyers to suggest rules of pleading and practice, and that upon these recommendations the Supreme Court will frame a simple, flexible body of rules which will become the model for similar codes to be adopted by the highest courts of the various states, on whom similar powers will have been conferred.

Judge Clayton's masterful argument in support of the idea on which this reform is founded, which is published on page 5 of this issue, should contribute not a little to the success of this propaganda.

provincialize the country as to pass the Congress could do nothing that would so pending Randall amendment to the postoffice appropriation bill providing for a graduated second-class postage rate.

By this amendment it is proposed to make newspapers and periodicals one cent a the rate of postage on nationally circulated pound for a distance less than three hundred miles; two cents a pound for three hundred miles or over; three cents a pound for six hundred miles or over; four cents a pound for one thousand miles or over; five cents a pound for fourteen hundred miles or over; and six cents a pound for eighteen. hundred miles or over.

Thus, current news and intelligence furperiodicals is to be taxed and therefore will nished to the people by newspapers and presumably be retarded in proportion to the distance that separates the subscribers from the usual centers of publication. For there culation of intelligence, as there are natural are natural distribution points for the cirmarkets or centers of distribution for cotton, oranges, iron ore, wheat, etc., and it is well known that recent rulings of the Interstate Commerce Commission have modities in proportion to the distance from tended to lower the rates on such comthe natural market in order to facilitate a

NOV 201917 204KAA