Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-29
To SCRUT|NlE ALL
THE DEPARTMENTS
First Step Taken in a Search
ing Investigation.
HOUSE EXPRESSES ITSELF
Heretofore Useless Committees Will
Have Work to Do.
HOUSE EXPRESSES ITSELF
REFORMS TO BE ESTABLISHED
Useless Offices to Be Abolished-Re-
arrangement to Be Made of Sal
aries on Equitable Basis.

The initial step in sweeping:
searching and comprehensive con-
gressional investigation of all the
government departments in Wash
ington was taken by the House
of Representatives today. The
House, by practically unanimous
vote, vitalized nine heretofore
purely ornamental committees OF
that body, gave them necessary
employees and authorized them to
go ahead and institute economics
and reforms in the departments
with the object of abolishing use
less offices, enforcing respect for
the law bringing about the proper
application of money, insuring the
government against unjust and
extravagant demands, bringing
about stricter accountability OF
public offices and arranging for
the reduction or increase OF sal
aries on just and equitable prin-
ciples..
Action was taken by the House today
affecting the governmental service in
Washington that was. more important
than any that has been taken in many
years.
The House acted upon report from
the committee on accounts brought in by
Representative Hughes of West Virginia
authorizing the appointment of clerks to
the committees on expenditures. on pub
lie buildings, expenditures in the Interior
Department. expenditures in the War De-
partmcnts expenditures In the Department
of Commerce and Labor, expenditures in
the Navy Department, expenditures in the
State Department, expenditures in the De.
parrment of Agriculture, expenditures in
the Post Office Department and expendi-
lures in the Department of Justice
These nine committees have ALWAYS
been considered as purely ornamental
and most of them have not met once a
session They were simply the dumping
grounds for unavailable material in I he
House membership, and furnished room
for members to hang up their hats
Most of them are old committees. too,
and were created with the idea that they
would keep the governmental department
order. But they never lived UP to the
purpose for which they were created Six
of them have been bodies of the House
since 1916, one since 1850. one since 1874
one since 1889 and one, that on expendi-
lures of the Department of Commerce and
Labor, since 1905.
A Severe Indictment.
The report of the accounts committee
Is hot one. 1t is admitted in the re-
port that the committees have done moth
ing and the statement is made that if
they had been at work pursuing their pre-
Scr1bed duties there would have been no
necessity for the creation of the Keep
commission and the waterways commits
sion and for the PRONUNCIATION o. depart
mental regulations without congressional
authority. The report says in part:
Inc several committees in the eXecu-
tive departments have been of no practical
value for a long time They have been
. looked upon as commissions with nothing
10 DO Dormant, innocuous. it has been
generally accepted that they were shorn of
their powers and functions.
LAS further showing the extent to which
the committees on expenditures have been
rendered inactive and ornamental we will
refer to the investigation of charges made
IN the report of the fourth assistant
postmaster general on the Investigation
of the Post Office Department concerning
members of Congress. The committee on
the post office and post roads considered
the report OF the fourth assistant and
made report to the House. and a special
committee was authorized and appointed
TO consider the alleged relations of mem-
berS OF the House with the Post Office De-
partment. When this action was taken
the chairman of the committee on expend-
1tures In the Post Office Department at
tempted to have the substance matter of
the resolution considered by that commit
tee. but to no purpose.
IhuS 1t will be seen that when charges
or lrregular1ty IN a department made 1t
possible for one of the committees on ex-
penditureS to exercise it's functions the
House itself denied it that privilege.
II is not to be wondered at, then that
we have today ten committees of tho
House classed as more ornamental than
useful And the denial to these commit
tees OF Facilities, such as clerks has been
additional evidence that the House did not
expect them to do any work.
But it is proposed to change such con-
ditions and to galvanize these commit.
tees and make them a living working
force instead of mere meaningless fix
lures; instead of furnishing a dumping
ground SO to speak, for members of the
House who could not be taken care of
otherwise In committee assignments the
Speaker. in his appointments to these
committees. has made their personnel such
as to be guarantee that they will per-
form the duties with which they are
charged.
The committee on accounts DeUeEeS
that provided with clerical aid. the COM
mittees on expenditures will render the
House and the country service which will
result in economy and the better admin
istration of the executive departm antS.
We verify believe that with thesa COM
mitees fully equipped for work and st adj
ly pursuing their prescribed duties, they
would render unnecessary, not to say
impossible, the creation by executive Or
der of commissions, such the Keep
ood ha
sion, and the PRONUNCIATION of depart
mental regulations without authority of
Congress.
THE present time has been selected
for the reSuscitation of the expenditure
committees when no charges are pend
ing to invite public attention or excite
the public mind and to arouse PARTISAN
ship.
What Is Proposed.
There is no particular head which the
investigation is aimed to hit. But il is
proposed that these committees shall