The Harrison times., 1911-01-14
How Lawmakers of Nation
Waste Time as Aldermen for
City Of Washington.
SYSTEM RlDICULED BY ABBOT
Old Guard Democrats In House Object
to Surrenderlng Power to Newly
Elected Members In Caucus
Called BY Champ Clark.
By WILLIS j. ABBOT.

BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.
Washington.-This city, the capital
city Of the United States, is chatting
today under probably the most ex-
traordinary system of government
that was ever imposed upon any mu-
nicipality.
Furthermore, the congress of the
United States is equally embarrassed
and annoyed by being made to act as
| the board of aldermen Of the City Of
Washington.
OF course this all dates back to the
time of those eminent gentlemen
whom we call the Fathers Of the Con
stitution.\ They said that Washing
ton should be a city without politics
of its own, without a government Of
its own and should be governed by the
representatives of the country at
large If you will read the history Of
the debates at that time you will find
that the arguments then seemed good
If you will visit Washington today
you will find the results seem bad
And when l say bad l do not mean 80
much for the people of Washington as
| do for the people Of the rest of the
United States.
Congress as City Aldermen.
Tuesday of every week In the
house of representatives is known as
District day. That means that 391
| am haro pf bpnco ono of
whom, roughly speaking, draws $4,000
a year in salary and perquisites, is on
that day supposed to give his atten-
ton to the affairs of city of less
than 100000 people. The City Of Chi
cago has 2,225,000 people and it pays
its common councilmen $4,000 year.
| They legislate for one city. The
congress of the United States legis-
lates for the entire nation. It seems
| almost intolerable that the United
States congress should be called upon
| to act as a board Of aldermen or a
common council for the City Of Wash
ington.
Time Given civic Trfles.
Here, for example, is what happen.
ed the other day in the house Of rep,
resentatives. The question arose as
to what should be the new rate Of pay
for the mounted policemen in Wash
ington at certain street crossings. 1t
wasn't debated very long, but 1t will
come up again. Such men as Mr.
Smith of Michigan, Mr.. Mann of Illi-
nois, Speaker Cannon and Mr.. Stat
ford of Illinois spent nearly two hours
| discussing the question whether the
matter should be taken up for action.
In the end 1t was set aside.
Again, Immediately following this,
came the very serious question to the
people Of Washington, supposedly, as
to the erection of new bridge across
a certain gully which Is called Rock
| Creek. The erection of this bridge Is
Of no interest to anybody outside of
Washington, but l find that the gentle
men already mentioned, plus Mr.. Fos-
ter Of Illinois and Mr.. Campbell of
| Ohio, got into the debate. It took an
other hour or SO of the time of the
house.
Big Men on Small Jobs.
Following that there came PROPOSE.
ton which nobody outside of Congress
or outside of the District of Columbia
would understand, and | do not men
ton it either with any purpose of ap-
proving or disappearing. AS they say
in the house, | reserve my right to
object But it was this "An act to
incorporate the Washington Sanitary
Housing company" Looking down
the list of speakers recorded in the
Congressional Record on one side or
| the other, | find the names Of Mr.,
Fitzgerald Of New York, Mr.. Smith OF
Michigan, Mr.. Kahn Of California, Mr..
Cox of Indiana, Mr.. Mann of Illinois
and Mr.. Madden Of Illinois After
about an hours discussion of this bin
action was finally deferred by the OBJ.
lection Of Mr.. Madden.
Immediately following came up the
important question Of licensing drlv.
ers Of hacks, carriages, taxicabs or
any other kind OK public vehicle in the
District Of Columbia. Speaker Can.
non was in the chair. Again one gen.
tleman from California, one from
Michigan and one from Illinois argued
this serious question, which should
have been left absolutely to statesmen
Of the type who make up the Chicago
common council or the common coun.
ell Of any other city. There was long
argument Of the question as to who
would stand for the spelling OF the
word chauffeur argument which
hardly seems to Justify the amount of
time spent In the discussion OF the
bill, think It would be worth while
to show the country, even at the risk
Of being dull, how this important mat.
ter was discussed in a session which
has barely sixty days left of business
quote from the Record
The Licensing Of cabmen.