Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-01-31
WHY CONGRESS LACS
Effect OF New Office Building on
House Attendance.
HARDER TO KEEP A QUORUM.
Members Of Congress Will Spend
Much Time In Their Offices Instead
Of on the Floor-Grip Of Committee
System Strengthened.

System Strengthened.
There Is little doubt that the grip OF
the committee system" on legislation
will be strengthened in the lower
branch OF congress 10y the recently
completed office building OF the house
Of representatives, says special
Washington correspondent OF the New
York Post. The influence which this
building is 10 have upon the daily at
tendance of the house is already ap-
parent. From this time forward il
may prove difficult TO maintain IA quo
rum, and work Oh the ioUr will he con-
hned to even fewer men than hereto
fore.
Ii Is twenty years since james Bryce
pointed out what lie conceived 10 he
weakness OF the American system OF
legislation in the house. The influence
or the standing committee has grown
since Mr.. Bryces criticism of 1883 in
The American Commonwealth" and
were he rewriting that work today
there is little doubt that he would cite
the location of the office quarters of
representatives us one reason why
members generally do not take great
er interest in the proceedings on the
floor.
Lack OF space in the capitol building
made ii impossible TO supply more than
limited number of members with Of
fee rooms. There are now sixty-one
committees of the house. and the chair
man of each of these committees has
had one or two rooms in the capitol
| for office purposes. The new office
| building was completed a few days
| ago, and now each member has at
least one room. Many of the standing
committees have been transferred
| from the capitol to the office building
and probably not To exceed thirty COM
| mittees will have quarters In the capi
I tol. 1t Is walk OF nearly i've minutes
! from the floor OF the house to the Office
building.
| The new member finds out that the
measure under considera ton has been
discussed at great length in the COM
mittee Which reported it. 1t comes TO
! the house accompanied by an elabo-
I rate report. iu which its merits or de-
| merits are set out at great length. Pos
sibly hearings on it have been held
and those most interested given a
! chance to speak their minds for or
! against ii. The anxious listener. fresh
| from his constituents and determined
| TO let nothing slip through that will be
| inimica to the people of his district.
discovers that the members of the
committee that reported the bill are in
a sense specialists of the problem with
which it deals. He learns that in de-
! Tending or opposing it these members
OF the committee will be probably the
only ones entitled to speak. Unless 1t
is subject that specially interests
him or has a direct bearing upon some
industry or thing in his district he will
conclude probably that he does not
care to remain for the debate.
Thus his Indifference begins, and In
the end be will be found spending lit
tie time OH the floor. He will be there.
OF course. when the opposing cham
picnS clash in debate on questions dl-
viding the parties. He will be there
when his own committee is fighting TO
sustain its report. Probably he will
not be absent when particular clause
In an appropriation bill, in which his
district is interested, is reached. lie
will he on hand when appropriations
for rivers and harbors and public build
ings are being made. At most other
times he will permit his associates to
see to it that the general public veal Is
conserved.
A southern representative said re-
Gently that the new office building
would enable him to do twice as much
work as formerly. He had in mind the
writing of letters and the sending OF
documents and seeds to constituents
Many members who were always on
hand at the opening hour now spend
that hour in their rooms. At | O'CLOCK
they drift over to the capitol. lf any
thing of interest is up for discussion
| tneE ma! FelualH. pul uSua'iy thei'
visit to the capitol is not to spend time
on the floor, but to visit the house res
taurant.
Giving each representative an office
room has one advantage. 1t makes II
reasonably easy to locate" the where
abouts of representative. Hereto
fore whenever there was call OF the
house the sergeant at arms sent his
men seurrying all over the city II
search Of the absentees. 1t was neces
sarv for the house officials to know
something about the habits of each rep
reseutative, where he was accustomed
to loaf at particular hour, who III
] intimate friends were, etc. Now una
|. every member has an office 1t is llkel.
that it will be easier to round up lh'
sbseptees. IL the missing representa-
! tive is not in his room, it Is more thai
likely his secretary will be able to III
dicate where he can be found. 1hl'
upplies not only to the house otlclals
but to others who are anxious to SCI
representatives and who heretotor'
have found it difficult to know wher'
to begin their search.