The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-06-26
GARNER RIDES
 IN AUTOMOBILE Is Not Afraid of Criticism
 From Home TEXAS IS UP-TO-DATE Representative Weeks Thinks Tariff Will Bear to Be Revised Along New Lines in n Few Years.
 Washington Gossip
TEXAS IS UP-To-DATE
By RopERIcK CLIFFORD

tents Know InaI you dIo iiuinS oiouh' the city of Washington in the finest touring car owned by any member of 5 Congress-" said Representative Keliher of Massachusetts, to the acting whip of the minority the other day. For If. those voters in Texas hear of 1t they will think you have strayed off the reservation of democracy"
 You don't know the people in my dis trict," replied Representative Garner. 'They want me to have the best there Is, and as long as I get what they want In Congress, why, they say the best is not too good for their congressman. You see. my car enables me to cover lot of territory. I take in the departments every day where have business to look after for the district, and l cover the distance in quick time so that l am not late in attending committee meetings. etc. And besides. automobiles are very common in my district. The people Of Texas are not slow they are up-to-date and insist that their representative in Congress shall also be up-to-date."
 Tn the opinion of Representative Weeks of ssachusetts, it will be but a few short years when the tariff will have to- be revised along new lines. He says that the question of Chinese and Japan csc labor, which has. caused American labor so much worry and forced Con- gress to enact legislation to exclude this class immigration, has already taken new turn. China and Japan have made ! great progress, he says, in the field Of manufacture, and are now competing with us In many lines of endeavor, and in few years will meet us in our home market unless Congress takes some action.
 The situation, MT Weeks said. Is as- suming this character Their labor Is excluded from the United States, but their manufactured products are not, and as they have up-to-date manufactur- ing plants and skilled artisans they will sell their goods in this country more cheaply than any other foreign competi- tor. Already China and Japan, MT. Weeks declare, are selling on the Pa cific coast the products of their mines. This problem is coming to the front. he believes, and must be met if the wages of American mechanics to remain at the present standard.
 ''There is only one way, to reduce the cost of running the executive depart ments, and that is to cut out unnecessa- " expenses said Representative Macon of Arkansas, who is regarded as the democratic watchdog of the treasury. The member from Arkansas keeps close, watch on the appropriation bills, and many items involving thousands of dol lars are struck out of the budgets by his fatal points of order. 'It Is the little things" said Repre- sentative Macon, that make up the large totals and cause the people to ask why the cost of running the government should Increase 50 per cent in decade. wish the departments to have all the help necessary to get out the work, ana wish the ell rlSs who do the work to receive a fair wage. but am not in favor of every year increasing the sal aries of the higher officials and cutting down the stipend of those who do the work and that is what Congress has been doing right along.
 Tt is time to call halt When we met here last December we were told that a. record was to be made In the matter of reducing the expenses Of the government, but instead of any reduction the figures show increase in the ap- propriation over those of the last Con- gress. Much of this increase will be due to the legislation recommended by the President-the railroad bill and the postal savings bank bill, for instance.
 What do I think of the proposed commission for which the Senate has appropriated s10o,O0O, to investigate the management of the executive depart- rnent with the view of pointing out to Congress how expenses cen be reduced? have a poor opinion of it. The com mission scheme has, been tried several times, but am not aware that anything tangible ever resulted. The last one was, believe, the Keep commission appointed by President Roosevelt. It spent some thousands of dollars, but if 1t furnished a plan to save any money, I am not aware of the fact. Nor has the committees of the Senate, which was appointed for such purpose last Con- gress done anything in the line of cut lln only way we will ever accomplish any thing in this line will be for the House to make an impartial investigation of the departments and report the results with out fear or favor. The heads of the de- partments, will, of course tell such com nittee how the other fellows department can be improved and the expenses cut, but when 1t comes to his department, he asserts it can't be improved, nor conduct | eu for less money. There Is one change that must come, if Congress Is to do anything. and that is we must not de- lay longer, but act now and do away with the lump sum appropriation. It Is such an appropriation that leads to wan ton extravagance, and 1t Is this feature of legislation that is largely responsible for the loose business methods in the departments"
 The senator or member who knows the rules of procedure and understands the art of enforcing them can generally gain his point You don't have to be hand in glove with the little clique that runs things if you know thing or two about the rules
 It was in the Senate. The sundry civil appropriation bill had been reported by Senator Hale, the leader of the majority who for years has run things just about as he pleased. Among the new items placed in the bill by the committee was authority for surveys in some western states These items were subject to n point of order should any senator care to make it enator Hepburn of Idaho. re- memberes :,s .l.s heAwanted some surveys made in His state and accordingly off, fered an amendment to that effect. Sem ator Hale, in charge of the bill, objected saying he could not accept 1t.
 Then 1t was that the Idaho senator called attention to the fact that there were other items in the bill like his, and unless his was accepted he would have to object to the others and would therefore make point of order Mi. Hale sug- gested that the senator from Idaho had been remiss in not appearing before the committee at the time the other senators did and asking for the survey. This, how ever. did not have the effect desired, for MT. Hepburn said that unless his amend ment was accepted the others in the. bill would have to do without.
 The usual result followed. The Idaho senator got what he wanted.