Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-19
ANNOUNCEMENT Of
HOUSE COMMITTEES
Assignments for the Sixtieth
Congress.
SPEAKER CANN0N'S LIST
Many Changes Made in the Minor
Positions.
SPEAKER CANNON'S LIST
IMPORTANT PLACES RETAINED
Payne Chairman of Ways and
Means, Tawney Appropriations,
and Cousins Foreign Affairs.

Speaker Cannon made public today the
membership list of the standing and select
committees of the House of Representa-
tfves for the SiXtieth Congress. Most of
the radical changes in the committee
make-ups of the House have been dis
counted but the list is interesting as show
ing the shifts of the various more or less
important members from committee to
committee.
There are sixty-one standing and select
committees in the House, and it is no little
job to get up the committee assignments
at the beginning of a new Congress. The
House cannot work until it's committees
are appointed, and the committees cannot
be appointed in five minutes.
Some folks who have been wondering
why the House has been holding three
minute sessions and three-day adjourn
mentS ever since the I'd of December can
get line on the reason by looking over
the committee list and figuring out just
how much gray matter and midnight oil
must have been used up in the process of
compilation.
OF course. there was osgood deal of
kicking heard around the House this
afternoon after the announcement of the
list, but it was neither more nor less than
uSual-if anything, less.
Many comments were heard around the
House today on the makeup of the Dis
trict committee. Former Representative
Babcock of Wisconsin. who for a number
of years was chairman of the House Dis
trict committee, told Star reporter tod>v
that the District committee as constituted
by Speaker Cannon for the SiXtieth Con-
gress was the best ever. Heretofore
good many members of the District COM
mittee have been from rural communities
and some of them could not or would not
take the trouh'a become familiar VIII n
the affairs of big city. This made more
or less embarrassment In local Legislation
and this year Mr.. Cannon was careful 70
pick out men most of whom are from b'e
cities. Mr.. Babcock thinks that the COM
mittee when it gets to work will be able
to grind out District legislation in quick
time and that the product will be high
class.
Representative Aiken. one of the new
members of the District committee. was
transferred from Indian affairs. lie is
also member of the pension commit
tee. Representative Allen of Maine
left the District committee for the va
cancy on Indian affairs. Butler Ames
of Massachusetts,, who made a fight for
the Craftsmanship of the committee on
militia. lost out. But he is assigned to
the militia committee, pensions and for-
eign affairs, the laSt-named important
body taking the place of she census
committee of which he was n member
last session. Representative Barchfeld
of PENNSYLVANIA. who was "A member OF
the special insanity committee last
year has one new aSsignment-manu :
factures He remains a member OF
the committees on patents and alcohollC
liquor traffic.
Democratic Assignments.
1t is of interest to note that Speaker
Cannon disapproved of only one of the
recommendations for committee assignments
made by John Sharp Williams, the mi
nority leader. Mr.. Williams recommended
Representative Candler of Mississippi to
agriculture. Mr.. Cannon turned down the
recommendation and put in Jack Beall OF
Texas Thereby hangs a tale. But it is
too long for the telling just now.
Representative Brdsall of Iowa is as
signed to rivers and harbors and rail-
ways and canals in place of judiciary.
merchant marine and fisheries. Repre-
sentative Bonynge of Colorado goes on
ways and means, giving up with gratitude
immigration ald naturalization, mines and
mining and patents. Representative Bou-
tell of Illinois gets the craftsmanship of
the committee on expenditures in the
Navy Department. in addition to his posi-
ton on ways and means. The chairman
ship gives MIR. Boutell some much needed
desk room.
Philip Campbell of Kansas, one of the
District committee members, gets Indian
affairs this year in addition to the Dis
trict and pensions Representative Car
lin of Virginia, who succeeded the late
Judge Rixey, is assigned to coinage,
weights and measures and elections NO. ).
He was inclined to go on the District of
Columbia committee, but when it was
offered to him on a silver plate with gold
handles and diamond trimmings he waved
it away quickly.
Representative Albert Douglas of the
Sfrfp xIhn c
venor's successor. is assigned to mines
and mining, merchant marine and fish
cries and reform in the civil service. These
are not so bad. but will leave him suffi-
cient time to eat his dinner without hurry
and attend to his constituents desires.
Representative Ellerbe of South Caro-
lima is named for rivers and harbors in
place of immigration and naturalization
and election of the President. Repre-
sentative Ellis of Oregon is transferred
from rivers and harbors to naval affairs
Fordney on Ways and Means,
Ways and means opened its arms to
receive Representative Fordney of Michi-
gan, who last year was chairman of the
committee on expenditures in the Navy
Department and a me mber of public lands
au1 merchant marine and fisheries. This
year Mr.. Fordney has mines and mining
in addition to ways and means. Reprc-
sentative Foster of Indiana. who was on
judiciary last year. goes to the District
of Columbia also for this session. Rep
resentative Joseph II. Gaines of West
Virginia goes on ways and means, in
ADDITION to his craftsmanship of election
of the President, etc.
Representative William II. Graham OF
Pennsylvania has the unqualified honor
this year of being chairman of that much
abused committee on ventilation and
acoustics. He also has nsular affairs and
claims, but it is certain that he appre-
ciates the ventilation portion of his ca
reer more than anything else.
Representative Richmond Pearson Hob
son officially received his prize package
in the shape of an assignment to naval
affairs. He looked rea! happy this morn
ing and received the congratulations OF
his colleagues with becoming modesty
Longworth was another much congratu-
lated man today, the Speaker having as
signed him to the important ways and
means committee! Representative Lang
ley of eKntucky. formerly appointment
clerk in the census Office. was assigned to
the census committee and also to eXpendi-
ture of the Navy Department and indus
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