The Detroit times., 1910-12-06
MEETING OF CONGRESS
V.-MACHlNERY OF LEGISLATION
By FREDERIC ! HASKIN

casionally for weeks. Often they 40
back TO their respective bodies ana
ask TO be supported or excused.
Usually il is process or give and
take. The senate conferees Will yield
on some items and the house con-
ferees will recede from insistence ON
other items. and then peace Is de-
clared by both bodies. after which
comes the enrolment and the trans
mission to the president
There are many parliamentary
steps not related here through which
measures may so while In the custody
OF either house. They may be made
special orders" in the senate, and
have the right OF way over every
thing else. Every bill must be read
By it's title at least three times be-
fore the senate can pass IL. ana eN'
cept by unanimous consent the read
ing must be on three different days.
After a bill is reported ii is consid-
cred twice in both houses. once III
the committee OF the whole and tue
second time in the open session.
Modern parliamentary practice can
make the pressure OF the legislative
mill as hard grinder as IL desires,
and can make IL extremely dinicult
for a measure TO get through con-
gress.
The test OF the legislative machin-
cry comes at the end OF a session.
The senate and the house are con-
firrled procrastinators until they sud
| denly wake up and find ii Is only a
few weeks until adjournment. Then
they put on bit and spur and rush
| things through At a head swimming
gait. The last few days OF ses.
sion the clerks who have charge or
the bills, work day and night. Ii Is
natural that with n big omnibus bill.
like the public buildings bill, there
should be liabilities TO error A few
years ago every senator and house
member thought congress would ad.
| Journ at given hour, and ma
| bought their tickets home. AT tho
last moment someone discovered
! that the bill was in bungle and
everybody had 10 sit up With IL until
| nearly midnight. A committee in
vestigated the matter but no ono
| knows yet who made the errors that
| kept congress in a sweat for hours.
The work OF the officials who keep
the legislative records OF the senate
and the house is increasing at II
! tremendous rate The first session
OF the Fifty-second Congress wit
messed the introduction OF 10000 bills
In the house. the filing OF ! 500 re-
ports. the passage OF 237 public laws.
and the making of 5000 pages OF the
Record The special and first regu-
lar session OF the SiXty.frst Congress
witnessed the introduction Of q 900
bills. the filing OF l,733 reports, and
| the making of $3.50 pages OF the Con
! gressional Record. The printing bill
OF congress has increased in proper
ton. The Investigations OF the child
labor question by the senate has I'LL
ed nineteen big volumes and several
thousand sets Will be printed. The
monetary commission is turning
volumes ont at the rate of about one
week. and no one knows how much
II ultimately will cost
Oftentimes employees OF the SEN
ate and house compile works that
are printed by congress and are of
great value In the promotion OF legis-
lation. The parliamentary precedents
prepared by Asher Kinds. lately elect
ed member OF the house from
Maine, are so exhaustive and com
pete that they cover a half dozen
dig volumes as big as good sized
unabridged dictionary Pitman Pull
sifer. also II Pine Tree State man,
for years was clerk OF the senate
committee on naval affairs and be-
came such an expert on naval mat
ters that his naval yearbook has been
regarded as an authority. When Vice
President Sherman assumed the Of
nee OF president OF the senate he
found book OF procedure. prepared
under the direction OF Secretary Ben.
nett. that tells him exactly what TO
say and what TO do under every cir
cumstance' that may arise. from a
personal collision between two fiery
senators down TO the reception OF
the messenger who bears the presi-
dents messages 10 congress.
Tomorrow-The American Red Cross.
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