The Nome daily nugget., 1908-01-27
REFORMING THE HOUSE.

Representative Bouten. of Chicago. proposes physical reform in the house of representatives in which he reverts to the model of the English house of commons. He suggests the removal "r the desks from the floor and the sub stitution of easy chairs. The purpose, of course. is to make it impossible for tho members to do anything while they are in their seats but listen to the pro- ceedngs of the house. At present they do everything from writing letters 10 eating lunch, and few of them pay at tention 10 the speaker who has the floor.
 Whether the removal of the desks would have the desired effect of caus- ing our lawmakers to pay more atten- ton to debate is in doubt. If the mem bers were compelled to be in their places during discussion something might be accomplished, but congress is making no preparations to be on hand during even general debate on important measures. IL is going in just the opposite direction. Eacn house of congress is having built for its ac- comodation an office building in which every member will be furnished a luxu- riously appointed room. In these rooms will be telephones. sclf-acting telephones connected with phonographs through which the whole proceedings of the house may be heard by every body in the room The member can sit in his office and smoke and hear all the debate that he wants to hear There is no necessity of any one being on the floor except the member who is talking. the speaker the clerks and the sten- graphers. Unless the member should pause in his remarks and suggest to the speaker the absence of quorum he will probably speak to the galleries
 There is, in fact, practical obstacle in the BOuteH plan. That is the ob- stacle of system. The American house of representatives is not organized like the house of commons. The commons is one indssoluble body with no com mittees except the cabinet and a few select committees which have to get house of representatives on the other hand is organized on the theory that the strenuous work will be done in committee As soon as the house is organized fl is divided into small groups of from five to seventeen mem bers and these groups are charged with all the steps in lawmaking except the final one. Bills are referred to them, considered by them. reported back. or killed by them and there is nothing for the house to do except to agree or dis agree with the appropriate committee. To compel members to be in their places when the very organization compels them to be elsewhere serving on committees would be absurd.
 Nevertheless, it might be a good plan to remove the desks from the floor. With each member provided with an office, there is less reason for the busy scene of correspondence, reading and studying in the house The substitu- tion of chairs would give the house a more decorOus appearances The litter of papers and books would be reduced and those members who were on the floor would have more the appearance of a court listening to evidence and argument than the house has at pres ent, when so many members stick at their desks like business men over whelmed with private work. But 10 assume that the removal of the desks would bring all the members back on the floor overlooks the fact that three fourths of them are busy on commit tee work, all of which cannot be ac- complished in the intervals of the house sessions.-Mi Journal