The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-11-17
GOLDEN STATE MEN
GAIN PRESTIGE

BY George A. Van Smith
The recent Congressional elections
resulted in giving to the California
delegation and through it TO the State
a large net gain in the way of commit
tee promotion and House prestige.
Through the downfall of the consider
able number of Republican leaders who
were swept out of office, the members
OF the California delegation, with pos
sibly two exceptions. move up toward
the heads of their several committees
and are correspOndingly stronger both
IN committees and in the matter of
patronage.
The reduced proportions of the Re
publican majority in the national
house of Representative will prob
ably result in a reduction of the Re
publican membership of some of the
committees, the adjustment OF which in
the organization of the Fifty-ninth
Congress temporarily bsnished Speak
er Cannon's smile. This reduction may
involve transfers and a possible fur
Their promotion for members Of the
California delegation.
BY the retirement Of Gillett Califor-
MIA loses one important committee
place. The Governor-elec is eighth
on the judiciary committee. His sue
cessor, Englebright, is not a lawyer.
and If he were he could hardly expect
TO land one of the greatly coveted
seats at jenkins committee table. Gill
let's second committee. expenditures
on public buildings, is an uniInportant
auditing committee, carrying with It
no prestige and no perquisites save
ONCE rent for the chairman.
McKiniay and Kahn are both well
placed on insular affairs and military
affairs respectively. The available re-
turns do not indicate promotion for
- f--f- l.
committees being junior to the Cali
fornia men. Knowland goes up one
place on coinage, weights and mea-
sures, which has, owing to the agita-
ton of the metric system, become a
committee of considerable Importance
Both Knowland and Hayes are on the
committee on banking and currency
which may be expected to result in a
transfer for one
Hayes is now the junior Republican
member Of the committee on immigra-
ton and naturalization. He will move
up from ninth to seventh place on a
committee that is of first Importance to
California and the Pacific coast
Needham. McLachlan and Smith are
the greatest beneficiaries of the East
ern political upheaval and their gain
is in each instance Of prime import
ance 10 California
BY the defeat OF Grosvenor of Ohio
McCleary Of Minnesota and Babcock ot
Wisconsin, Needham goes at single
leap from eleventh TO eighth place on
ways and means. The Senatorial ambf-
lions OF Curtis Of Kansas may result
in further promoting the California
man, but in any event he has moved
UP the table far enough to begin to
take real part in the deliberations of
the committee that is lighting of tn :
popular clamor for tariff revision
Cannon will undoubtedly fiji the places
vacated by Grosvenor Babcock and
McCleary with reliable standpatters
He has in few notable Instances
disregarded the rule of seniority IS
regards the committees on ways and
means and appropriations. but it is only
fair to assume that members trans
ferred to ways and means will go 20
the foot of the table. Not even Can
non can stave of tariff tinkering in
definitely. and the defeat of McClearv.
the standpat idol. will have a tendency
TO hasten the scaling of the tariff wall
All Of which means that California will
play an important part in revision
when il comes.
Through the retirement OF Bishop of
Michigan and Dovenor Of West Vir-
ginia, McLachlan is advanced two
places on the rivers and harbors COM
mittee- Nationally this committee is
second in Importance only 10 appro-
pIldL4Ole anu Ways ana means, and 10
California il is OF the highest import
ance- McLachlan's advancement means
that he viii head more important sub
committees and be in decidedly bet
ter position 10 take care of the in
terests Of his State in the great rivers
and harbors appropriations.
With the passing OF John p. Lacey
OF Iowa, the veteran chairman of the
committee on public lands. and the
South Dakota revolution. started by
Senator Gamble, which relocated Mar
tin 10 private life, Smith goes two
steps UP the public lands committee
line This is one of the committees on
which the Republican representation