The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-09
BY R NJ Larner.

Washington, Dec. S.-Members of the
Georgia delegation in the House have
nothing to complain of for the liberal
treatment shown them by Speaker
Cannon in making his committee as
signments. The result shows that a
state delegation becomes more valuable
and influential in molding national leg
islation by long tenure Of service.
No delegation on the minority side
OF the chamber can compare with the
Georgians in the matter of desirable
committee designations. The official
list fully confirms the forecast made in
these dispatches as to the recognition
due the Georgia delegation. All of the
members are personal, if not political
friends of Speaker Cannon and he did
not have to consult long with Minority
Leader John Sharp Williams in decid-
ing where to station the Georgia men,
1t Is particularly gratifying to Sa-
Vannah and those who are interested in
the thirty-foot channel project, that
Col. Rufus E. Lester again sits at the
head of the minority on the River and
Harbor Committee. There was great
pressure for appointment to that COM
mittee among Democratic members,
and many of the aspirants went so far
as to suggest that Georgia was .receiv-
ing more than her share of the good
things" at Uncle Joe's" disposal.
If there is to be a river and harbor
bill during the coming session, Savan-
nahs interests will be ably and eff
fectively safeguarded, both in the
House and Senate. With Col. Lester
in the House to originate the thirty
foot project. and Senator Clay as a
member of the Commerce Committee,
there is no danger of Georgia's water
ways suffering through inexperience or
lack of faithful and we'll sustained en-
deavor.
When 1t comes to personal influence,
Col. Lon Livingston's position at the
head of the minority of the Appripria-
lions Committee is of inestimable val
ue to his state. AS mixer in
national politics, Col. Livingston has
few equals in Congress. He is known
as we'll in the Senate as he is in the
House, and throughout the depart
ments he knows just where to go for
what he wants for his constituents, and
if it is anything within reason he
generally gets it.
Judge James Griggs retains his place
on the Postoff1ce Committee, which
promises to be one of the most ac-
tive committees of the present Con-
gress. Georgia is deeply interested in
the further development of the postal
| service, and Judge Griggs' hand has
beeen strengthened by the recent ap-
pointment of Senator Clay to the Post
office Committee of the Senate. There
will be an effort made by Fourth As
sistant Postmaster General Bristow TO
curtail or hamper the expansion of
the rural free delivery service, not
only in Georgia, but in all parts of
the country. All of the members of
the delegation are daily in receipt of
petitions and memorials from home,
urging the expedition of various rural
delivery routes, supposed to have been
determined upon long ago. 1t appears
| that Mr.. Bristow has established a
system by which such requests are
numbered as they are received, and
taken up in rotation. This rule is
supposed to be Iron clad" at least that
is what is said to members of Congress
who go to the Postoffice Department
to urge action upon various mail routes
in which they have a local interest.
One of the agreeable surprises in the
delegation'S assignments is the appoint
ment of Representative Brantley to the
Committee on the Judiciary, in addi-
ton to retaining his place on the Com
mittee on Public Buildings and
Grounds. Right here is another indica-
ton of effective team work" on the
part of the Georgia delegation. Sena-
tor Bacon is a member of the Judic-
larry Committee in the Senate, and Sen
ator Clay has just been assigned to
the Committee on Public Buildings and
Gorunds.
So anxious was Mr.. Brantley to get
on the Judiciary Committee that he
might have been induced to relinquish
Public Buildings and Grounds, il
obliged to make a choice between the