The St. Louis Republic., 1903-10-25
First Work of Congress VIII Be
To Fill Gaps Left by Re
tiFement.
OPENING FOR So DEMOCRATS.
Chairmanships of Commerce,
Pensions and Irrigation Are
Most Important Posts Now
Open To Senators.


! REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Washington. oct. 2i.-While the United
/ States Senate l. a continuing body and 6.
7 never without all the machinery for doina
! business. yet upon the assembling Of every
! Congress there are many vacancies to b,
I filed as a result Of the election Of one.
/ third Of the membership OF that body
! There was no need for general commit5e
! work in the special session Of the Senat,
l which met Immediately after March last
1 10 ratify the canal and the Cuban treaties
/ so that it was decided to allow the yacan,
/ cies on all except the few necessary COM
] mittees To remain until the meeting OF the
| regular session in December.
Until then general legislation will not be
taken up. so there will be small need for
the completion Of committees in the extra
| session. But there will doubtless be a
| movement toward the making OF assign
ments OF newly elected Senator's in No
vember. Those assignments VIII be con-
sidered by the Special Committee on Com
mittees- The vacancies on the Committee
! on Relations with Cuba. caused by the
death OF Senator Mcmillan and the retire
ment OF Senator Deboe. will lie filed at
once There are vacancies on practically
all Senate committees. There will be seven
chairmanships 10 hll, these being on the
Committees on District OF Columbia, Audit
and Control Of the Contingent Expenses
OF the Senate. to Establish the University
OF the United States. Patents. Post Offices
and Post Roads, Public Health and Ma
tional Quarantine.
Besides these chairmanships there are
foTty-six vacancies 70 be filed by Re
pubhcans on thirty-onc committees. The
vacancies are in the places that were
hIled by the late Senator Mcmillan. Sen
Ators Mason. Wellington. Jones OF Nevada.
Pritchard, DebOe and SIMON There will
be one .chHirmanship and fifty-three other
committee places to be filled 10y Demo-
Gratis. These are the places vacated by
Senator'S Heitfeld, Harris. McLaurln. Tur-
ner. Vest. Jones OF Arkansas ami RawIIus.
The chairmanship vacated By Mr.. Vest on
the Committee on Public Health and Na-
uOnal Quarantine viii be flied by a Dem
ocTat- All other chairmaEshIps will 70
to Republicans.
McMILLAN'S DEATH
CAUSES VACANCIES.
The death Of Senator. Mcmillan caused
more vacancies on important committees
than is the case with any OF the Sen
ators who were not reelected. Senator
GallinGer's retirement from the Committee
n feHs.ons Will Ieave that important
chairmanship to be nlIed. Both PTIJchard
ana DebOe. the nrst Two members on the
committee after the chairman. being Oul
or the Senate, MIR. McCumber OF North
iakOta remains the senior member Cf the
committee.
That Senator serving his first term in
the Senate should have 81 important a
craftsmanship Is unusual. but tnt rights of
seniority On the committee favor him
ana there Is httIe doubt that he will get
JEe Craftsmanship.
The Committee on Post Offices and Post
Roads Is another OF the important ones
II the Senate. Senator Pelruse. the Sc
nior member. will Le one chairman, which
VIII make II necessary that he should
retire from the chaIrmaush4p OF the Com
mittee on Immigration. Mr.. Fairbanks OF
Indiana could have that cOmEhItJee n ne
cares Tor IL.
The chairmanship Of the Committee on
Patents was also mace vacant by the Te-
tirement OF Senator Eritchard. Mr. PIart
OF Connecticut. the senior member. viii
not want IL and Mr.. MCComas would have
TO give uD the chairmanship OF the Com
nittee on Education and LABOR 10 take IL
The next IN line OF seniority Is Mr.. Kit
tre1ge, chairman Of the Committee. on
Standards. Weights and Measures
The Committee to Establish the Univer-
sity Of the United States has three vacau- |
Cies.
The retirement OF Senator Sumon leaves |
vacant the Chairmauship Of the Commit
tee on Irrigation and Reclamation OF Arid /
Lands, which. in the future. Is likely 90 be i
u greater Importance than in the past.
Five Of the most important committee
places in the Senate TO be filled are vaCau-
lies on the Committee on Commerce.
There is apt to be a good deal Of efI0r- on
ne part of Senators TO get on that COM
nittee. Places on the Committee on Com
nerce are regarded as almost equal To
as are places on the Appr0-
lriatiCns Commlttee.
The retirement OF Jones OF Nevada Vest ]
lud Jones of Arkansas leaves important /
-acancies on the Committee on Finance.