Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-12-14
CONGRESSMAN
AND ECONOMY
Conserve and Keep Down
Expenses ut Washington.
tFrom be NEWg correspondent.)

tFrom the NEWS Correspondent.)
Washington, Dec. 14.-Congress-
men from New Jersey who are chair
men of committees of the House of
Representatives find that the cru
SADIE in favor of economy, which
originated at the White House and
has extended to the deterrent de-
partments since the Cabinet officers
invariably anxious to act in accord
with the wishes of the President,
has at last invaded the sacred pre-
cincts Of the Capitol and beginning
with Representative Tawney, chair
man of the committee on %appropria-
lions, the word has been passed
along the line to conserve every
thing and keep down expenses"
There was a time when the chair
man of a committee could obtain al
most anything he wanted in the way
of supplies. Needless to say, some
congressman took advantage of this
at every opportunity. A plan was
finally evolved so that nothing in
the way-ef supplies was issued to
committees from the stationery
room without a requisition signed by
the chairman of the committee, to
fix the responsibility for the request,
and approved by the chairman of the
committee or accounts. Now, the
acquisitions must be made out in du-
plicate, and the chairmen find the
committee On accounts pruning
down everything to the lowest min
imum, and there will be little, If
any, waste this winter in the use of
supplies.
That New Jersey failed to get a
place On the Supreme Court bench
in the appointments made by Pres1-
dent Taft is believed to be due to the
policy of the President to placate,
so far as possible, the insurgents"
or progressive element in the Repub-
lican party. In other words, there
is a strong possibility that Mr.. Taft
is ''ploying politics" in the hope that
the warning factions n hs party may
be united before the campaign of
1912, since there is a strong prob
ability that the harmony in the
Democratic party, which Is now
conceded as a foregone conclusion,
with the control of the House of
Representatives, will make it neces-
sary for the Republican party to be
in it's best form for the campaign in
1912.
What may happen in New Jersey
in the event of a new apportionment
being made for congressman in view
of the recent ensus figures is being
considered to some extent by the
New Jersey congressman, particu-
larly by Representatives Hughes,
Hamil and Kinkead, who will all be
! here in the next congress. The ratio
of representation in vogue at pres
ent is 1874, 1872 to n representative.
| There is some talk to the effect that
the ratio will be increased to 1885,
223 to one representative, which
| would have the effect Of keeping the
| House Of Representatives the same
| size as at present. but changing the
representation in some states. I'm
der such an apportionment New Jer-
sey would gain q congressman. Some
of the states would lose, and nat
urally they would fight a plan of
this sort. 1t is not yet definitely
agreed upon as to what will be
done, and the matter may go over
until the next congress. Even
though the House of Representatives
will be Democratic, the senate will
be Republican, and 1t Is therefore
believed that a fair apportionment
would be arranged since one body
could not afford to attempt to take
advantage Of the other.