Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-06
Committees of House of Rep
resentatives Announced.
MIDDLE WEST CARED FOR
Three Active Insurgents" Deprived
of Their Chairmanships.
CLEMENCY GENERALLY SHOWN
Murdoch Gets Post Office, Parker
Judiciary, Vreeland Banking
and Currency.

The long-looked-for announcement of
the committees of the House of Repre-
sentatives for the Sixty-first Congress
was made by Speaker Cannon yesterday
just before final adjournment. There
was particular interest in the matter this
year owing to insurgent activities at the
beginning of the session and the desire
to ascertain in just what proportion the
iron duke of Illinois would distribute
pltims and punishment.
Although Representatives. Cooper of
Wisconsin. Fowler of New Jersey and
Gardner of Massachusetts were denoted
by being relieved of their chairmanships
of nsular affairs. banking and currency
and arts and expositions. respectively.
the insurrectionaries on the whole, got
off rather easily. The three men named
were probably the most active and-to
the House Observation-Disclosures of all
those members of the lower branch OF
Congress who rebelled against the exist
ing rules and. ia some degree. against
the reelection of Mr.. Cannon as Speaker
But Representative Murdoch of Kansas,
who was just about as active as any one
of this trio, was not disturbed In his
membership of the desirable committee
on post offices and post roads.
Several Important Vacancies.
There were several big chairmanships
vacant and they were all filled in way
TO cause probably as little friction as
could be expected under the circum-
stances. Representative Mann of ILLINOIS.
interstate and foreign commerce. sue
ceeds REPRESENTATIVE Hepburn OF Iowa,
who was defeated for reelection; Repre-
sentative Parker of New Jersey gets 1u-
dietary succeeding Representative Jen-
kins of Wisconsin, Who is also among
the missing and Representative Olmsted
of Pennsylvania goes 10 lhsulaf n,, -
Representative Nreeland of New YORK 10
banking. and currency. and Representa-
tive Rodenberg of Illinois to arts ana eN-
position the three laSt-named gentlemen
succeeding the three previously men
toned insurgents Representative Alex
ander of New York succeeds senator
Burton of Ohio as chairman of rivers and
harbors.
It appears from a glance at the COM
mittee list that the middle west is now
narticularlv we'll taken care of. The
chairnanships now assigned to that sec
zion are: Appropriations, Tawney or
Minnesota agriculture, Scott or Kansas
navy. Foss of Illinois. military aHalrs.
Hull of Iowa: Indian affairs. Burke OF
South Dakota.
In addition to rivers and harbors.
which, as stated. goes to New YORK. an
other eastern man. Representative weeks
the gift of the craftsmanship of post ONCE
and post roads.
Chairman Southwick Resigns.
In connection with the rivers and mar
bors assignment there was. made puohc
yesterday letter to Speaker cannon
from Representative Southwick of New
York, resigning the craftsmanship of the
committee on education. This letter.
which itself is explanatory. follows:
February IL, 1909.
..Eon Joserb q Cannon, House of Rep
-reSentativeS-
'tNIy Dear Speaker Cannon: / am not
'oblivous 70 the recollection mat when
the charmanshio of the committee on
appropriations was under cons'defauon dt
the beginning of the Fifty-nlnth Congress
there was general consensus to the ef-
feet that in so far character ana ca
pacity figured, by far the ablest and most
desirable selection would be that OF lion
I.ucius y. Lit:auer of New York. Other
considerations than thai, however inf1u-
enced you in your final selection, oroml-
nent among them being that New YORK
had too many chairmanships
Mr. Littauer, as / recall. was not the
ranking member in point of seniority on
the appropriations committee, Mr.. Bing-
ham OF Pennsylvania occupying that posi-
ton. whose term of service made him the
father of the House. and to whom in
which prevented him from accepting the
onerous responsibilities of the chairman
ship of this the greatest of all money-ap-
propriatin committees OF the House or
REPRESENTATIVES.
AT the present time the Hon. De Alva
S Alexander of New York is the ranking
member of the committee on rivers and
harbors, and | sincerely hope and trust
that. with the election of the Hon. Theo-
dore Burton. chairman, TO the Senate of
the United States, Mr.. Alexander viii be
selected by you as the successor of Mr..
Burton.
In order 10 obviate the leading objec-
ton which YOU raised to the appointment
of Mr.. Littauer aS chairman of the com
mittee on appropriations, and in order to
save Mr. Alexander from being 'Littauer-
lied. | hereby. member of the New
York delegation and in the interest of the
state of New York and my friend, Mr..
alexander, resign my craftsmanship OF the
committee on education.
With the kindest regards and best
wishes to pprSOndllS /