The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-01
VIRCINlANS
in CONGRESS
Our Delegation iii the House {.
Did Much Valuable Work for
Their Constituents.
RID WORKERS.
Mcssrs. Lamb, Flood and Swa11-s
son Put III Some Valuable
Strokes.

. (F'rom Our Regular Correspondence
Y WASHINGTON, u. c., April 3O.-rhe
members OF the Virginia delegation IN
Congress have not much legislation to be
proud Of Mt tho end Of the congressional
session, but 1t ls' not to be expected the
eight DEMOCRATS can accomplish much In
Il House overwhelmingly Republican. Still
there arc no other eight members of the
House who have been more active III
their efforts in behalf of their constlt-
ucnts, and none lltlve tried harder to SCI
cure legislation In their. behalf. IT the
constituents or these gentlemen do not
send them back to Congress 1t shouldn't
be because the representatives have not
cndeuvorcd to- benefit them by legislation.
The voter at homo, unfamiliar with tho
method Of trallsactlng business IN Con-
grcss, cannot begin to realize the diff
cultles III the way Of q Democratic con-
gresham when he undertakes to accom-
plsh anything for his constituents. The
House always divides on party lines. THIS
is SO nearly absolutely true that the cx-
ceptions are unimportant Every COM
mlttee, to which all matters OF lcgsla-
ton are referred, Is presided over By
a Republican,, and the majority Of the
members are Republican. AS Republicans
are III control OF the committees and Re,
publicnns III control Of the House, bills
which are not satisfactory TO the Re-
publicans of tho committee and the House
are seldom heard Of. Bills which arc abb
soutcly non partisan in character, but
which have Democrats for their patrons,
have not much show to get out of CONS
mittee,t for the reason that IL beneficial
the majority party wants the credit to
go to a Republican and not to Il Demo.
crat for their enactment into law.
WORK OF MIR. JONES.
Representative Jones, of the First Dis
trict. introduced q large number OF bills
at this session and followed them into
many committee rooms, but he was not
able to secure the passage of many Of
them. Nearly all the legislation he sought
was of peculiarly local character. re.
ferring to the establishment Of light
houses, custom house matters and mar
hor improvements Tho failure Of Con-
gress to pass q general river and harbor
bill at tho recent session prevented Mt.
Jones getting the improvements for tho
waterways OF his district that his peo-
pie want and that are greatly needed.
But no is on the lookout for them next
year, when there is to be a general bill
for the improvement of the waterways Of
the country. and those of the First Dis
trict arc pretty certain to get a good
share OF the money appropriated for such
improvements.
EFFORTS OF MIR, MAYNARD.
REPRESENTATIVE Maynard of the Second
District, made a. strenuous effort TO pave
the way for great improvements FOR NOR
folk harbor by having Congress order
that survey be made for the purpose
OF ascertaining tho cost Of Il thirty-foot
channel, and also Of Il thirty-fve-ioot
channel from Hampton Roads to the NOR
folk navy yard Senator Martin got
| through tho Senate a provision for these
surveys, but they failed in the House,
as did several other amendments TO ne
emergency river and harbor bill passed
| by tho House, amended IN the senate,
! and then so changed IN conferences teh'l'
| 1t resumed practically its original FORM
| But Mr.. Maynard devoted himself chietly
| ia securing an appropriation OF three mn
| lion dollars for the jamestown EXPOSE
ton. He was never very hopeful or Sc
curing such legislation at the recent SEES
| sion. but his work has made 1t prac'lcaiiv
| certain that early in the next session Il
liberal appropriation will be MADE
LAMBS VICTORY.
Captain John Lamb, of the Ihlru Ia =.
trict' achieved n distinct victory for his
| constituents and for himself when nc
| succeeded in having the committee VI
/ War Claims report favorably the on1nl-
Il J,
| for the payment of nearly hunote.l
| thousand dollars TO Virginia claimants
| alone for the use or damage oil Pfup-
/ erty by soldiers Of the United States gov
| eminent after the close of the war. -
i course, Captain Lamb does not ciailil
| that he did all the work which cot lne
bill out OF the committee, but his COL
l LEAGUES are ready to admit that 1t was
largely owing to his strenuous efforts tnat
! it was reported and finally passed py
the House ut failed in the Senate ior
tho reason that the Finance Committee
would not report it, but it is assured ina
II will be acted on next year, ana Ina
many more claimants will come III uldcr
it. Captain Lamb has been successful
in getting through a number OF relief ana
nenson bills, and his work as senior
Democratic member Of tho Committee on
/ Agriculture was very valuable. lie was
| largely instrumental in securing IN
creased appropriations for the agrlcul-
| turnl experiment stations, which VIII pc
OF benefit to the station mnintainea IN
connection with the Virginia Polytech-
mic Institute Captain Lamb Is very
popular with Republicans especially with
| the G. A. r. men, who evidence strong
| liking for tho old Confederate cavalry
man, and want to obliGc him when they
can, even at tho expense of little Or
their partisan allegiance, Captain LAMBS
popularity eStenuS " lIie utlh''Ni'N'''
also, where he Is as we'll known as al
| most any other member of the House
and where, by the way he has about as
many appointments to his credit as has
| any other Democratic member
| "BOB'S" FIRST TERM.
| Representative Southall, who Is. Sewing
| his first term, has not had much oppor-
tunity TO show what he can do in con-
gress, A new member Is \ Very small
cog in the machinery Of government, and
when that new man Is n Democrat IN a
Republican House. the size Of the cog be-
comes microscopic, But Mr., Southall Is
catching on, and he says the people OF
his district are going to send him back
SWANSON A WORKER.
Representative Swanson is the busy
bee OF the House. One moment he Is
seated at his desk listening to the de-
bate, In q minute he Is on the other
side of the House urging n Republican
TO see the error Of his position on some
measure, and y moment later is in the
cloak room, impressins his views on Il
COLLEAGUE who cannot look AT a pending