The Washington times., 1909-12-15
Cannon'S Floor Lieutenant
Managing Interstate Com
merce Bill.
BOUND TO FORCE
CONGRESS TO ACT
Illinois Representative Engaged in
Steering Most Important Meas
ures Now in Sight in House.

Anybody in search OF a right busy
statesman, will do we'll to look up the
activities OF James r. Mann. of
Illinois, first floor lieutenant OF Speaker
Cannon, chief objector of the House,
chairman of the Committee on Inter
state Commerce, and putative can
didate for Speaker to succeed Mr.. Can
non whenever he shall retire.
Mr.. Mann, in the first place. is one
OF the hardest workers in Congress
He takes his job seriously.
But HIS political situation at this time
is the most interesting thing about him
He is a sort Of quasi-insurgent: just
insurgent enough TO be interesting at
all times, and just dangerous enough
TO command the respect and attention
OF the regulars
Insurged On Paper.
During the later stages Of the tariff
consideration last session, Mann in
surged on the question OF the pulp
and paper tariff, and threatened TO
make first-class rough-hoUse over the
conference report He was finally mol
lihed somewhat and didn't blow up the
whole institution; but the tariff insur-
gents extracted much satisfaction from
the spectacle of Cannon lieutenant &C
tually going up in the air over a par
ticular schedule.
Mann had been chairman OF a spe-
cial committee. that investigated the
whole question of the pulp and paper
tariff, the Paper trust, price OF paper,
and all the related matters; and when
his committee recommended that the
paper tariff be reduced from So TO =
per ton, Mann meant IT. He proposed
TO have * reduced. and he made fine
fight for f. He lost, because the Sem
ate refused to take the word Of House
committee for #; and that was why
THE Sneaker made Mann chairman of
the Interstate Commerce Committee
and has been steering about half the
real business Of the House to that bodN.
eS,ldentIv confident that the right thing
will be done with it. Mr.. Mann's com
rnittee now has charge OF the leglsla-
ton to suppress the white slave tranlc:
and Of a conservation measure prepared
bv Mann himself. which covers the sub
1ect in a great variety or aspects As
soon as the Taft-Wickersham Dill Tor
reorganization OF the interstate com
rnerce law is reported, II VIII go 10 TINS
committee
Kills But Little.
II isn't part or Mr.. Mann's program
n. have important legislation die in
hts committee. He wants It TO get 10
the House. and has promised that the
conservation measure will be brought
out in short order II is expected 70
occasion a long debate on the House
eoor. hut the impression IS that Il viii
get through the House, and that the
senate will be forced TO assume the
responsibility OF final disposal OF IT.
The unanimity OF the Senatorial belief
that nothing very Important viii pass
this session is the justification for the
evacuation that the bill will finally
fail 20 become law. But that VIZ
be Mann's fault
As To the white slave bill. that is q
nave A hearing in the committee or
Monday and members hope that IL vii
be passed Immediately after the holi-
days: possibly even before the holiday
adjournment.
likely TO be the Administration inter
state commerce measure. This VIII bt
introduced by Mr.. Mann, and will be q
committee bill
Outlined By Taft.
II viii be based on the suggestions
made by the President in his Des
Nfoines speech. and there will be deter
mined EFFORTS, in both houses. to amend
II so as TO put more teeth into It. %
In this case, as in that Of the con-
aervation bill, Mann is determined that
the House shall make clean record
by passing the measure ana forcing the
Senate 70 be responsible II IL doesn't be-
come law. And IN this case. likewise
fha expectation is that the Senate lead
ership will signify its willingness TO as
sumo the responsibility.
Along with these overwhelmingly i'm
portant matters the Mann committee
has the usual myriad Of more or less
wesRhty affairs. Congress in recent
wears has come 20 be sort Of inter
state commerce tribunal Itself; almost
nothing important gets 20 the statute
books without discussion Of the ap-
rlication OF the commerce clause OF
Inc Constitution" 20 IT, The Senate
Committee on Interstate Commerce is
.-oaLnnrt .LnuL rnr---Z N !. .L.r. :