Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-02-26
Congressman from Fifth S !
Detail of Secret Service. &
BURKETT ON SENATE comb
Makes a Showing of How Few Mel
Control Important Committees.
MOVE TO cURTAn THEIR POWER
Would Make IL Impossible for Any
Senator 20 Have Places on Any
Two of the Important
Committees.
tFrom a .staff Correspondent.)


gram. l-Nebraska played a most conse-
ausntial part in the proceedings OF two \
houses Of congress today, Burkett in the /
senate and Norris in the house commanding !
attention because of their positions. both /
in measure unequfvocally supporting the |
hands OF the president in his endeavor to |
bring about a better condition OF govern /
ment.
When the item in the sundry civil bill |
was reached relative To limiting the extent |
Of secret service activities and prohibiting |
this bateau OF the Treasury department to
do work in other departments, Congress
man Norris closed the debate on the amend
ment permitting the secret service to be
used by any department Of the government
Although the vote was overwhelmingly in
favor Of the law II now stands, limiting
the service to one department. of forty-one
votes cast in favor OF the broader sphere
the Nebraska delegation voted solidly in
favor Of the presidents proposition.
Judge Norris in presenting his reasons
why the men of the secret service should
not be confined 70 any one department said:
''Nine-tenths of all the argument has been
made on a question which is absolutely i'm
material and has no bearing whatsoever
on the point IN dispute It Is unfortunate
that members in this debate have seen fit
ferent departneuts Of thu government. The
only question Is. shall men in the secret
service be allowed TO be transferred from
one department to another7 1t Is a square
business proposition that men in the secret
service should. when emergency requires
it, be transferred from one department to
another. There Is no occasion for members
10 set excited and to find fault with and
criticize the executive and other department
officers merely because the executive de-
partment Is asking for the exercise of ordi-
nary business judgment in legislation"
In speaking upon his resolution. which
proposes TO amend the existing rules OF
the senate by adding a new rule providing
that IN eomahiflss assignments ehairmsu
shail be appointed agreeable 10 their wishes
and In aecordance with their seniority OF
service on tbs committee. Senator Burkett
said:
''No senator should be appointed to mem
bershlp on both the finance and appropria-
tons committees. nor should any senator
be appointed to more than two committees
carrying appropriation bills. nor to more
than two OF the following committees:
Appropriations. commerce. finance. foreign
relations, interstate commerce. Judiciary
and rules II seems to me that perhaps
we mikht well consider at this time some
thing OF the GOnuiLl0n OF the orkaniLAllOn
Of the senate We may think that we can
eliminate the question. but We cannot, be-
cause the country has not been well sat
isfied. I think. we ali agree. with all the
work Of the senate, and II has something
to say in reference to this matter. In my
poinlon the country is going 10 say q
good deal more upon the question OF what
the senators are doing in the future than
IL has N the past. So l suggest to those
who occupy the most important positions In
the senate that they can well afford to
consider some OF the things that are sug-
gested in this resolution. They may not
care what the country thinks. and yet they
must and they are eonsiderate OF what the
country thinks 'apon the legislation We
enact and upon that which we fail to enact
How Places Are Distributed
Mr.. Burkett iead from statistical table
no had complied showing that on seven
committees but thirty-seven OF the forty
six states are represented. while all the
places are held by fifty-three OF the ninety
two senators. OF the eighty-nine places on
these committees. he said, nfty-five are
held by ssteen states While thlrty-nine
places are held by hpublicans. he said.
thirty-nine individual republicans hold all
OF them. OF these. eighty-nine desirable
assignments he said. twenty-three are held
By senators from states west Of the MisSis-
slDpi river and sixty-six places by senators
from east Of the Mississippi Twenty-six
senator's. he Eaid, are more than two
of these committees; thirty two;
twenty-five are on one and fourteen are
on none AZ all Burkett insisted that better
results would be obtainsd by the senate Il
the work should be more equally dis
tributed.
senators Kean and Penrose OBJECTED to
AR. Burkett's remarks while the agricui-
turaI bin Was pending and the further con
alteration Of the resolution was postponed.
PrOtsetins Surface RiEhtG.
The bill for the protection OF the surface
rights Of entrymeR. commonly known a.
the MOndeIl bill. passed the senate today
with an amendment submitted BY Senator
McCumber. as follows
not Withdrawn from settlement bug sub
tect 70 homestead entry as agricultural
slch ana proof OF settlement and cultiVa.
tion as required by Law have been mad
Al the local land office, which proof show
the land 70 b. Agricultural lands. patents
therefor shall Oe executed and deliveres
70 cnti ymen not notwithstanding there may b.
ignite coal under such lands
And provided further that where land
not Withdrawn from settlement and entr7
as agricultural lands have been or here
amer shall be entered upon In good faiti
under the homestead laws OF the Iuites
States and fnal proof Is Offered AZ tn
local land offce such proof shall De &C
copied and a certiiicate thereof issued b.
the local land office 10 the entrymen snl
patents delivered now provided by laW
Observation-Disclosures the fact that such Land
or any portion thereof shall be underiat
with Ignite coal, unless Il shall appea
that the lands have . higher commercia
value for mining than for agricultural pur
poses and the harden of proof shall b
iIpon the government 70 show that sue
lands have > higher commercial value 70
mining than for agricultural purposes.
ms legislation vas brought about ,