Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-17
SPEAKER IS READY.
WITH THE HOUSE
Com MITTEES
WILL BE ANNOUNCED
BEFORE THE RECESS
Cannon Says He Does Not Be-
lieve in Especial Pleaders''
and Will Favor No Pet Legs
Iation.
Especial Correspondence Morning Journal,

IHptftht tOffcepobuchte hUruihk bOutuais
Washington. Nov. 14.-Speaker Can
non will the committees o
the house for the sixteenth congress
just before the holiday recess. Mem
bers can hen adjust themselves t.
their posts of duty and the wheels o.
legislation will begin to revolve witt
some activity when congress recon
venes after New Years. The selection
of these committees is a matter in.
VOlving a vast mount of labor FOL
the speaker, and is usually accompan
led by great heart-burnings on thu
part of disappointed members, for few
obtain that which they seek or the
assignments for which they think
themselves peculiarly fitted.
Mr.. Cannon will arrive in Washing
ton on the goth of this month and
will then TAX up the matter Of filling
the committee vacancies. His private
secretary, L.. Whyte Busbey, already
has tabulatedf the thousands of appli-
ants of members and the endorse
ments of their colleagues for those
places and when the speaker gets
down to the business of sitting out
these applications he will have a la
bOrious task confronting him. IL the
speaker could do so without causing
revolution. he would establish a new
method Of filling the committees OF
the house. Discussing this subject re-
Gently, Mr.. Cannon said he did not
believe there should be special plead
ersf' on any of the committees. The
rivers and harbors committee, which
deals with the enormous appropria-
tions made for Improvements under
the engineer corps of the army, for
the benefit of commerce, Is made up
entirely of men who come from sea-
coast ports or large river towns. This
has been the policy since the begin
ming, but experience has shown that
each of these men, as a rule. is the
particular advocate of some PROPOSE
ton of local interest to his own region
and hat the rivers and harbors COM
mittee is made up to conserve these
special interests with such other pro-
jects added as may be necessary to
pass the bill. In this way the benefits
to are I'm the hands OF men
interested more in some one project
than in the general good of the
try.
The speaker does not believe in
hacking the jury. If he had his way
his committee would be composed of
men removed from any local influence
who would be guided entirely by the
recommendations of the engineers and
then let the entire house sit in Judg-
ment on its work. II was for this
reason that the speaker in the last
congress refused to appoint Mr.. Small,
Of North Carolina, on this particular
committee. There was nothing per-
sonally against Mr.. Small lie Is a
good member, but behind him in his
state and along the entire southern
coast was the powerful sentiment ia
voring the establishment of an in
side channel down the Atlantic coast,
a proposition that involved the ex-
penditure of untold millions, and ths
speaker declined 10 put a special rep
resentative of this enterprise on the
committee. IL must take its chance
in the house on its own merits. This
same policy will actuate the speaker
in making up all his committees.
There are good men on these com-
mittees today Who will remain be-
cause, under the custom OF the house
they are entitled to their old COM
mittees unless good reasons may be
assigned for their removal. To re-
move them without great cause would
reflect upon their status as usetul
members of the house, and Mr.. Con-
non will not assume the responsibility
Of reyolutionizing the house in order
TO correct the errors of his predeces-
sors.
There will be the j%olliest kind of a
row on i'm the senate, when the presi-
dent sends in the name OF MS newly
selected postmaster at Berkeley, the
town Just across the bay from san
Francisco, and which is the site OF the
University Of California rms toWh Is
IN the district of Representative
Knowland, and when the acanc oc-
Cured he recommended a man by the
name of Thomas for the office. BE-
fore making this recommendation, MT;
is said to have conferred
with both senator's n the selection
was satisfactory to them. However
when Benjamin Ide wheeler, presl-
dent OF the University Of California
heard of the recommendation, he
went to oyster Bay post haste OPP
posed the selection Of Thomas and
urged the president to appoint a man
named Merrell, whom MI. Nheeler
designated.
No particular reason was given Tor
the opposition 10 Thomas, save me
feet that he did suit the university
authorities. Merrell was more pol
isbed In his and from the
viewpoint Of the university men was
the more capable OF The two. rms
action of President Wheeler aroused
the Ire of Representative knowiand'
who again consulted with senators
Perkins and Flint and found they
would stand by him. He then opened
,aD correspondence with The California
delegation in the house and all OF
them agreed that n postmastership
was a matter than belonged to the
coneressmau and not 60 the univer-
sity president. Among those who thu
agreed TO This proposition was Repre-
tentative HAYES. the owner Of the san
aosys Mercury To the surprise OF
Ne. Enowland, this PAPER came out
Va an editorial endorsing the SELECTION
of Merreii. and giving copious reasons
wiz he and not the man recommend
ed nv the congressman should be ap-
poinfed The friends Of Hayes at
tempted to convince the rate M'
KnSwtand that Mr.. Hayes knew noth-
ing OF the editorial but Mr..
declared there were certain stare
ments In IL a. 10 matters OF when
only Mr.. Hayes and be knew ana ne
therefore charged Mr. HAYES Win
reSponSibility for the editorial Tnere
- nov war between these two mem
hers. but al the others stand BY MI
knowiand.
The appointment OF Nerrell was an
nounced from Oyster Bay before the
a<~eident returned 90 washington
from his vacation. A. . soiace % NJ
Knowfand's "rumpled" ceilings II mas
neen intimated 10 him that this APP
pSintment il - b. temporary only ana
that the man Of his choice viii uiti-
mately be appointed. The delegation
has agreed 10 nght the nomination OF
-. - a. n AAE-nAAN m4Fm