The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-11
Senator Martins S Promo
ton Valuable to
This City.
WILL STAND FOR
IMPROVING RIVER
As Ranking Member Of Com
mcrce Committee and One OF
Senate Conicrecs, He Is
Able 10 Make Great
Fight for Rich
lnond.
nY WALTER COWARD HARRIS.

BY WALTER EDWARD HARRIS.
WASHINGTON, -. c. August ID
in connection with the proposition to
have Congress appropriate s5,000.o00
for the Improvement OF the James Riy-
er. II is interesting to note that for
the first time in years Virginia VIII
have 81 member on the conference COM
mittee made up Of three members of
the Senate and the House. which VIII
have the final work OF shaping the
river and .liarbor bill, This member viii
be Senator Martin. For number of
years lie has been. next TO the ranking
member on the Democratic side OF the
Senate Committee on Commerce. which
handles all river and harbor matters.
He was outranked by Senator Berry,
OF Arkansas. one-legged Confederate
tsold!er. The conference committees are
always composed Of the chairmen of
the two committees In the Senate and
House, the ranking majority member
and the RANKING minority member Of
the two committees. Thus there are
six men who get together, three from
the Senate and three from the House,
and shape UP a given piece of legis-
lntion SO that 1t can be accepted by
both bodies.
llltS 10 alltsa Ilt>Il VINO arrange lHt
compromises. The three from the House
Will agree to recede from this propo-
sition advanced by the House, and the
three from the Senate agree to recede
from that proposition advanced by the
Senate. And it Is through the com
promises effected that the legislation
IS finally gotten into the shape that It
Will pass both bodies.
1t Will readily be seen that these
places are the tactical places In the
legislative battles of Congress. In
river and harbor legislation Senator
Berry held the Democratic place in the
senate. He was usually SO concerned
about improvements for Arkansas
rivers that he would stake everything
on them He would agree to recede
from an advocacy of Virginia appro-
priation, for instance, rather than to
see the Arkansas appropriation so out.
This is the way these matters usually
20. Senator's In conference commit
tees very naturally think that piece
of legislation affecting their own State
Is of more Importance than similar
legislation affecting another state, and
so they stand UP for their own appro-
priations. The result IS that theirs
will be the last to be cut out, II they
are cut out at all.
And likewise the result is that every
Senator who has interests at stake Is
ambitious to become member oil these
conference committees
Berry's Defeat Promotes Martin.
Tho defeat OF Senator Berry by JEFF.
Davis has let the ranking minority
membership fall on Senator Martin.
THAT he will in this position see to it
that the interests of Virginia rivers and
liarbors do not suffer goes without
saying among his friends And IL he
and Senator Daniel succeed in having
the bin as it passes the Senate contain
provision for n large appropriation
for the JAMES, he will be able. as a
member of. the conference committee,
to make a strong fight for It's accept
arce by the House.
The Senator is warmly for the I'M
provement OF the James. He is a
great believer in the utilization of wa
tel. traffic as a method of keeping rail-
road rates on fair and reasonable
basis. 1T is therefore certain that Vir-
ginia river Improvements will have a
better status before Congress than
they have heretofore had. 1t is many
year since Virginia furnished q reg
&'ilar conferee on river and harbor legis-
lation.
u ~ihsu NsNiA -
In this connection it is interesting
TO note that Virginia has a pretty fair
representation on the conference COM
yittees which have to do with the
important Legislation in Congress- In
addition to Ills new ROLF as conferee on
river and harbor legislation Senator
Martin is conferee on all omnibus
claims bills, and on all legislation af-
fecting the District of Columbia.
Senator Daniel is a member by virtue
of his being the ranking Democrat or
the Finance Committee, of all confer-
cnces on questions relating to the
finances of the United States, Shoult
there be. any tariff revision he would
be member of the conference COM
mittee on this subject He is also
ranking member of the Senate Commit
tee on Education and Labor.
In the House Representative Lamb
IS the ranking Democrat on the Com
mittee o: Agriculture. and by virtue
of his rank conferec on measures
reIttlng TO the agriculture 2f the
country.
Representative Hay is ranking mem
Der of the Committee on Census. AM
by virtue OF the fact that Representa-.
tive Sulzer has no fondness for detail
work, such as is done in conferencf
committees, Mr., Hay usually take his
place an conferee on all army legisla'
lion, Representative Jones is ranklnf
member OF the Insular Affairs Commit
tee, and therefore Democratic confcrct
ph the part OF the House on all legisla
lion relating to the lnsular affairs o
.he country, which includes most Phil
lrpine Island legislation,
yirginias Strategic Position.
West. Virginia was; up to the end o
tho last session. Well liked on rlvtl
ma harbor Legislation. Senator Ellsin!
Is the ranking majority member o.
The Senate Committee on Commerce
md By virtue of that position a mem
ber of the conference COMMITTEES ol
riyer and harbor legislation, On th'
House side OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES wa
Tho ranking majority member OF tli,
tSIN~
Ctn ,ty1