The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-13
BYRD NOT SWAYED
FROM line OF DUTY "
Named Committees Be.
cause Of Fitness. Igno
ring Politics.
NO MEMBERS
TO BE JUMPE b
Appointments Will Be An.
nounced To- Day Both
Branches Of, Legislature #
Preparing Now for
Hard Work OF
Session.
ny LEWIS II. nIAcnEN.

By LEWIS H. MxCHEN.
To-day is committee day in the Leg
islnture Tho steering committee OF
the Senate has already selected It's
committees. and tho selection has beet
ratified by the Democratic caucus oc
that body, and Will to-day be further
ratified by the Senate itself. Tho
chatrmen of tho committees are diff
/ ferent in nearly every case from those
1 OF last session, but this Is due to the
withdrawal from the body Of several
members who have enjoyed long PERI
DDS Of service. The new charmen in
most cases are old members of COM
! mtttees who have been advanced Only
in case Of the minor committees hayn
{, any new members Of the Senate been
given chairmanstips.
| OF the new members OF the Senate
| one has returned to the Senate after
an interval. and two or three have
served In recent years in the House,
and 1t was not difficult to assign them
| to suitable committees. The other
new members We're distributed, as far
as possible. among those committeesf
which they preferred.
| Speaker Byrd will announce the CON.
mittees of the House as soon as that
body assemblies. He has not made pub
lie list of the prospective members,
but he has declared the principle upon
which the committees have been made
up. All of the, old chairmen of the
| committees who are members OF the
House will be retained In their old po-
sttions In those cases where the
chairmen have failed to return to the
Legislature the policy of the Speaker
will be to advance the ranking menu
of 40 700, $1
ship.
The old members have been retained
upon their respective committees, ana
In their old sequence. The aim of the
Speaker is to retain upon each COM
mtttee as many as possible who have
had experience In handling the work
tos2that particular committee. No mem
Der of any committee will bn Jumped
over any who formerly outranked him.
Not Influenced by, Politics,
BY adhering to this method of se-
lection the Speaker, 1t is said, has not
b. en- able to accede to some urgent re-
quests OF strong personal and political
friends. or even to gratify his own de-
sires In some cases, but has rigfdIy
followed the course which he has laid
down for himself and what he thinks.
upon the whole, will produce the most
wholesome results. In filling the va
canctes the task has not been difficult.
Stree the House is fortunate III s,av-
Ing among its new members many
men OF recognized ability, who can be
readily assigned to appropriate places,
and In selecting the new members the
Speaker declares that he has not been
influenced by political. factonal or
other considerations. except tile special
fitness Of the members, so far as it
could be ascertained.
Upon the whole it may be predicted
that the committees of the two houses
will be SO many effective Working
forces for the disposal OF the business
that comes before them. which will be
amply sufficient to try their powers
With the appointment OF the com.
mittees the real work OF the session
begins.
Named Earlier This Session.
The committees are ready this year
two days earlier than last session, aud
four days earlier than in 1904. And
II IS Wellathat 1t Is so. for their work
Will be greater per diem than the
work Of former committees, hut
their pay Is greater. too, which. while
It may not be q consideration to any
may possibly be consolation TO
few.
Ihe Work OF committees Is not aa
Well understood nor as greatly appre-
ctated by the people of the State as
lit should be. It is done mainly IN he
basement of the Capitol. out of sight
of tho general public, and sometimes
behind closed doors. Few persons wit-
ness and few. II any. newspapers res
cord the long and weary hours which
the members spend in tedious and ex.
iausting and patient labor. striving 70
Faf rf1 pfa far Uh hS to-
their duty to decide, but in whose dc-
cision they often have no particle Of
personal interest, During most OF the
session when the two houses are not i
meeting their committees are toiltnR
with matters before them, and than
1t is that legislators CHIEF service IL
rendered. YIN
Work Very Important,
The committee Is the point at which
the public touches the Legislature anI
assists III legislation. S3;Sy
There the forces which may be push.
irg or impeding any measure bring
their chief pressure to bear. Before
them appear lawyers OF State and ma
'tional fame scientists. railroad presi.
dents. university and college presi-
dents. capitalists and business men
generally. as we'll as farmers and
laboring men, The doors are open to
all, and all may be heard as far as time
will permit. The committee having
heard all sides, goes into executive
session and ma kes up Its report. which
usually receives--and properly--greaf
n nsideratlon and weight on the floors
Of the two houses. sss "
But this work takes time. A bill
may originate in the House and bs
passed upon by the proper committees;
then go TO the calendar OF the Houss
and be passed, II must then so 10 N
tie Senate and be considered by the y
proper committee; then to the calen.
dar8of tile Senate before II Is ready
for It's final passage. Then. if the
Senate amends the bill II must 10
back to the House for concurrenca. il S
that Is lacking, then there must be . N
conference committee. which must fsAt