New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-28
TpE SENATE COMMITTEES
MANY PLACES TO FILL.
I'm nortant Positions Left By Hanna
Quaq and Hoar
r,.nov THE TRIBUNE BUREAU! ,a delics

IFRoA 4HN - Irnortant and deIi0"''
So. ,,,a meeting OF the Seil"'e tho |
-, Committees, and as lii .ba ones
zee Oh 49, a,riye in washington 'Ii'
-, of committee asslghihe.'
,bo chief subjects Of dIScuss,T tho on,nion of
.+o- Orgile H. Platt VIII ~ ~ .,,oooa Tho
-.o,s row in Nashlhs'0i'' ,+
- senator Hoar as Chairman - 49, ,,,ost inn
lale sI,or, This is one or the hlos' III
tee on IuuiO''' o,slhle committee chairman
:; the Senate and not OILY -
shlps -, ~a,actic,lt the ranking member puI
Fiait' " ,on, qualifications for the position
MS p,osorv recognized. He is statesman
-a.r,;onal ability. and one OF ms cIhel ciiai
~sst,ce Is A sense of honor so me lhdt MS
.-sorser,ent is invariably accepted as a'iple
-artea of the integrity OF any IesiSidlNe
osrre not only by the members Oh ms y"
-. hut by the most partisan OF MS Poii'.o0
a,nonenis Mr.. Platt has never hau occasion
pp-. - +boss tactics which sometimes lay
. Senator open to suspicion; in TACT hau II peeH
,,ooeesarv 10 play politics it is douotful II ne
,s ever have been elected or reelected 10
tLo r-rited States Senate. At present Seha'o'
49, &c chairman Of the Committee on CUBAN
r.la+iors an assignment of the utmost I'M
nortance in the past, as it might AGAIN "eNo
- thera threatened violations or the fIalI
amendment" of which the senator from Cot-
,,octic,t is the author. but a committee WHICH,
pnder normal conditions, Is OF an 4IhpoI '8'iO'
-, M means commensurate Win the Aolli'S Vi
a-,.~ie,,ca Of the Connecticut statesman who
for oyer a quarter OF a century mas col'lHu-
-, renresented the Nutmeg State IN the
Senate. o.-...4o -,
c-,,i++aas will have TO face will be the selec-
= Of q chairman to- the Committee on Inter
oooapi, Canals. Because of the complications
attending The filling Of this craftsmanship. made
,.ace7+ bv the death Of senator Hanna. it was
mt filed at the last session. The bill providing
for The civil government of the Panama Canal
,7s II will he remembered. passed in extreme
Il, abbreviated form at the last session Of
congress because of the inability of the Sen
ME and House committees to come TO an agree
rnent concerning the chief provisions OF the
measure As passed, it merely deferred denhlle
action bv Congress- and conferred on the Presl-
dent authority to prescribe the laws necessary
10 govern the zone until such time rs congress
might make further provision.
PLAN FOR CANAL LEGISLATION.
A. the present session there VIII doubtless
be made an effort TO enact an adequate ana
comprehensive administrative law, ana the bur-
den Of the legislation viii fall upon the Senate
committee The House Committee on Inter
state and Foreign Commerce - iltoipNN O'N4
by Representative Hepburn, long an advocate
Of the Nicaraguan route, and il was Mr. Hep
burns opposition which so nearly struck out
all after the enactHg clause, a parliamentary
expression for 'amputation of the tail just be
hind the ears when the senate sent over "
the House its canal measure last March. The
administration, therefore. naturally looks to
the Senate committee TO frame the legislation
needed and to successfully steer it through the
shoals of a conference committee of which Mr..
Hepburn Is certain TO be an influential mem
her. Largely on this committee too VIII de-
TOlVe the legislative supervision OF IHe cuII-
struction Of and expenditures for the Panama
Canal. and for that reason also its Craftsmanship
is Of the utmost Importance.
rs the Senate Committee 1nteroCeanic
Canals now stands Senator Plat, OF New York,
is acting chairman, but he has declined the
permanent craftsmanship on the ground Of his
health and his preference for the printing COM
mittee, Of which he has long been chairman.
The next ranking member of the committee is
Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, whose increasing
responsibilities the representative in the
Senate of the Lewis and Clark Exposition to-
gether with his advancing years. render il hard
~ likely that he viii undertake the onerOus
duties Of the Panama Craftsmanship. OF all the
assignments with which the committee on COM
Inittees viii have TO deal, the interocean canal
assignment presents the most serious problem,
and is the one most likely to necessitate ma
teT1al arrangement of present committee
memberships.
The death Of Senator Hanna left vacant two
particularly desirable assignments besides the
Craftsmanship of the Canal Committee one
OF these is on Naval Affairs, the other on Com
merce. The prospective report of the Merchant
Marine Committee, TO be followed by an effort
TO pass measure which shall undertake the
rebuilding of the long neglected merchant ma
rine. attaches unusual importance TO the Com
merce Committee. and the present increase of
the navy makes the Naval Affairs assignment
important and desirable.
OTHER VACANT PLACES.
Aside from the craftsmanship of the Judiciary.
Senator Hoar left two particularly desirable va
cancieS, one on Rules and one on Pri,-iIaoes a,5
Elections which latter committee is investigat-
ing the Slnoot case. The position on rules does
not call tor arduous work. but has always been
regarded as carrying exceptional dignity and is
one Of those positions which can be intrusted
only TO 4 Senator well seasoned with the fra
aluons OF the conservative body Of which he is
a member
The most desirable place left vacant by the
Death Of Senator Quay is a membership in The
committee on Appropriations. Mr.. Quay's
cnairmanship, that Of Organization and Conduct
u expenditures fl the Executive Departments
was OF minor Importance, the Pennsylvania
senator insisted on easy rather than an i'm
~ CIT chalrFnanshlp When he last came to
me me senate. There promises to be a lively tus-
.o MS place on Appropriations, and ii has
zen suggested that Senator Mitchell NAV urge
y rs cain because Of the advantage it would
cortland Exposition
senator Quays death also left vacant places
C,ro,,+5 tohhltlees on Public Buildings and
i-1oS ana agriculture. as well as on some
VICE PHI oo-il-tlees Public Buildings. of which
-eS-i iesldent-ele1t Fairbanks is now chair
al i-eS always been regarded as particularly
~ cue and is referred 70 by the ineIegant as
% IN seat at the pie counter" The necessity
ifss-si4Lg from the Senate which will soon
C'iIFont the Vice PresidenfleIect viii ma Lxa
~ ,sSSishInent OF unusual importance as the
r.+n m .i secures 1t before Mr. Fairbanks va
, 80 l-e workmanship viii gain bie frst s6
.,aih'ement promptly The raEking -. Ns
oSiIinlttee is Senator Warren oF Tt---o,c,,,,e,
~ chairman Of the Committee ~, =, ~ ; INNS
rrpr