The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-23
THE COMMITTEE PLUMS
Fell From the Speakers Tree on
Saturday.
CONGRESSMEN WHO WERE UNDER
MEATH THE FATTEST ONES.

A ppointments Made With an Eye Single
to the Country's Good-Dingley Heads
the Ways and Means With Payne of
New York Second-Boutelle at the
Head of Naval Affairs-NIilliken VIII
Look After Public Buildings.
Washington, December 21.-This has
been a lively day under the great dome
OF the Capitol Speaker Reed has an
nounoeu his committees, and several OF
them have Immediately got ready for
work. The usual holiday recess has been
postponed, although it will probably be-
gin next week. The House Republicans
nave 1t Is understood, mapped out
plan OF dealing with the currency ques-
tion, and in both Senate and House
wings there has been talk of the Venezu
elan situation and the financial problem.
In the making up Of his committees,
Mr.. Reed has placed Mr.. Dingley at the
head OF the ways and means, which
makes the Maine Congressman the Re-
publican leader on the floor of the House.
Mr.. Milliken is again chairman of the
committee on public buildings, and Mr..
Boutelle at the head OF the naval affairs
committee.
Immediately after the House adjourned,
calls were issued for the meeting Of
several of the more important commit
tees, in order that the transaction of bus
tness might be begun at the earliest pos
sible moment. Mr.. Dingley had the ways
and means committee assemble at once
for organization, and this was effected
by re-appointiDg tha present clerks, who
will hold over until January /, and the
committee adjourned to meet Monday
morning.
The following is stated on the best au-
thority to be the plan of relief which will
be discussed by the ways and means
The recess 1t Is confidently expected, will
be entered upon Monday next. The pro-
gramme which the Republican leaders
OF the House have now tentatively in
mind is to temporarily provide from
thirty to fortyflve millions more revenue
by some brief amendments of the tar
i'll. NOT involving general tariff reyis-
ion (these amendments to expire at the
end of 80 months) and give the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury authority to issue a
3 per cent bond as popular loan to
maintain the coin in redemption fund,
and for no other purpose, with prov1so
that the redeemed greenbaoks shall not be
used to meet current expenses, but be re-
tanned, so long as necessary, as part of
tional banks to issue circulation notes to
the par OF the bonds deposited as securi-
ty; to reduce the tax on national bank
circulation, and to authorize the issue of
certificates of inde btedness to meet a
temporary def cheney uf the revenue until
the revenue can be provided.
Mr. Walker of Massachusett chairman
of the committee on banking and curren-
oy, referring to the financial situation,
and the Presidents message, today said:
"No financial system Is workable by
unskilled or alien hands. That ours
was unscientifio and expensive is GER
prosperous condition of the government
treasury, viz: A considerable excess of
revenue over expenditures The Presi-
dent is wholly responsible for it's derange-
ment in acts, beginning in his first term
and repeated it during the present term.
That it has not broken down of it's own
weight as originally arranged, is proved
by its successful working for 30 years.
The reduction of the revenue considera-
bly, below the expenditures, disarranged
and finally practically upset the system.
Public confidence in it being once de-
stroyed it can never be restored. Very
nearly all the duties on imports were
paid in gold up to 1899. Now no gold is
paid into the treasury and the custom of
paying gold will never be restored. In his
opinion. the President should be given
the power at once to issue short time
bonds. His last message has undoubted-
ly caused the decision to be made that
every large increase In the revenue by
the tariff legislation was necessary ana
must be made. Following this, and as
soon as practicable. the financial system
should be reorganized.