The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1908-03-06
WHY CONGRESS LAGS
Effect of New Office Building on
House Attendance.
HARDER TO KEEP A QUORUM.

"S'HDStS CT congress VIII Speno
Much Time In Their Offices Instead
of on the FIoor-Grip of Committee
System Strengthened.
There is little doubt that the grip of
"the committee system" on legislation
will be strengthened in the lower
branch of congress by 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 to have upon the daily at
tendance of the house is already ap-
parent From this time forward it
may prove difficult to maintain a quo
rum, and work on the floor will be con-
fined to even fewer wen than hereto
fore.
1t is twenty years since James Bryce
pointed out what be conceived to be a
weakness of the American system of
legislation in the house. The influence
of the standing committee has grown
since Mr.. Bryce's criticism of 1888 in
THE American Commonwealth" and
were be rewriting that work today
there is little doubt that he would cite
the location of the office quarters of
representatives as one reason why
members generally do not take a great
er interest in the proceedings on the
floor.
Lack of space in the capitol building
made it impossible to supply more than
limited number of members with Of
flee 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
from the capitol to the Office building,
and probably not to exceed thirty COM
mittees will have quarters In the capi-
tol. 1t is walk of nearly five minutes
from the floor of the house to the office
building.
The new member finds out that the
measure under consideration has been
discussed at great length In the COM
mittee which reported it. 1t comes to
the house accompanied by an elabo-
rate report, in which its merits or de-
merits are set out at great length. Pos
sibly hearings on 1t have been held
and those most interested given a
cha npa tn CnnoIy THAR ,,,fpI. eor ~
against 1t. The anxious listener, fresh
from his constituents and determined
to let nothing slip through that will be
inimical to the people of his district,
discovers that the members Of the
committee that reported the bill are In
sense specialists Of the problem with
which it deals. He learns that In de-
Tending or opposing 1t these members
of the committee will be probably the
only ones entitled to speak. Unless 1t
is subject that specially interests
him or has 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 he Will be found spending lit
tie time on the floor. He will be there,
of course, when the opposing cham.
picns clash in debate on questions di-
viding the parties. He will be there
when bis own committee is fighting to
sustain its report Probably he VIII
not be absent when particular clause
In an appropriation bill, In which his
district is interested, is reached. He
VIII be on hand when appropriations
Tor rivers and harbors and public build
ings are being made. At most other
times he viii permit his associates to
see to 1t that the general public veal u
cQnserHed