The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-11

The House Of Representatives, the larg-
est legislative chamber in the world, will
be the smallest, if the plans practically
approved by the House Library Commit
tee so through. The House chamber, With
its 400 members, will be smaller than the
Senate chamber with its ninety-two.-
Last session members OF the House. by
a majority vote, decided that the chamber
was entirely too big. They passed a
bill authorizing a reduction of the cham
her 10 one-third its present size, with
benches, such as are used IN the English
House OF Commons. instead OF the pres
ent Individual swivel chairs and desks.
But after this had been done there was
a change in sentiment With a reappOr-
tionment pending, most members wanted
20 look ahead more than a few years and
figure out how the House would look
under a change in the present unit sys-
TEN. Consequently nothing was done
during the short recess.
Now, however, it is proposed, instead
OF making permanent changes in the
House of Representatives. TO build a
chamber within a chamber. That is, TO
construct partitions which. while perma-
nent. If need be, can be removed if the
plan of reducing the size of the House
chamber does not meet with general ap-
prevail.
These plans will be brought TO the
official attention OF the House immedi-
ately after the holidays. with the ex-
pectation that they will be approved
and that the work OF alteration will be
carried out in the eight months inter
vening between the adjournment of the
present session and the converting of the
House FOR the Sixty-secOnd Congress,
Benches for Members.
The present hall OF the House is 1S9
feet long and 80 feet wide. Under the
new plans it viii be only 50 feet in
length and 81 feet in breadth In the
present hall of the House there are indi-
vidual chairs for each member. In the
proposed hall there will be rows of
chairs. as in the big theaters, with
little shelf in front. upon which a mem
Der who is speaking can put his notes
and other papers.
The plan which is now proposed is ex-
pected 10 meet with more favor than any
o. the former changes which have been
advocated. IL viii not involve any struc-
Capitol. and If after trial, the new
House is found 70 be unsatisfactory or
too small, the chamber can be restored
10 us present size by knocking out the
partitions, which will practically make
the smaller hall a chamber within
chamber. That is what the latest plan
proposes-to erect partitions of substan-
tlal character within the present cham
Der and 10 devote a portion OF the pres
ent floor space 10 longing and cloak
rooms a Encouragement of the seating
plan of the House is regarded as certain
in the near future, because of the belief
that the reapportionment of Congress
sional districts is expected to increase
the membership.
Ii the plan now proposed is. carried
out the hall in which sit the 400 men,
bers OF the House viii be smaller than
the chamber in which gather the ninety
two, soon To be ninety-six, United States
Senators. The Senate Chamber is 1l3
feet long by so feet wide, while the new
hall Of the House. as has been stated.
Is to be only eighty-nine feet long by
si>ty-one feet wide.
Larger Press Gallery.
one of the objections raised against
former plans for smaller house was
that pillars were to be placed in front
OF all the galleries. Under the new. plan
there will be no pillars, except in front
OF the press gallery and the feelings of
the newspaper men will be soothed by
the fact that the press gallery will run
the entire length of the House. and there
fore give them more room than they
have heretofore enjoyed.
Inasmuch as the ceiling will not be
lowered the other galleries. while re-
duced IN length in accordance with the
reduced length of the sides. win he wider
and have sufficient additional rows of
seats 10 accommodate the same number
of visitors as now.
me latest plans have been prepared
under the direction of Elliott Woods
superintendent OF the Capitol, who thinks
mat the changes contemplated can no
accomplished in the eight months inter-
N"ning between this session and the newt