The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-27
Seniority Rule to Be Observed
in the Distribution of Com
mittee Chairmanships.
MANTLE OF ALDRICH
TO FALL ON PENROSE
Nothing to Back Up the Rumors
of Insurgent- Democratic
C0mbinatiO7.
SnocIol 70 The Tribune.

in the coming special session of congress.
so far as the activities of the members
OF the senate are concerned. at the pres
ent tirle. centers In the reorganization
OF the senate committees and the assign
ments OF senators to chairmanships. Al
though the assignments VIII not be made
until after congress conYeneS, there are
many negotiations in progress and. TO n
certain degree the assignments are set
tied
Unlike the house. the senate commit
tee chairmanships are decided largely by
the seniority OF the members. The Vari-
Gus committee members move up to-
wards the chairmanship as those above
them leave the senate. either throuEu
death. resignation, or failure to secure
recollection. The new member Of the SEN
ate. rega ardess OF his ability or national
fame, takes the lowest place upon the
side OF the committee represented by ms
party when he enters the senate Ihus,
Senator Root OF New York Is at the foot
OF the list of Republican members on on
the foreign relations committee. and VIII
have to stay In the senate many terms
before he reaches the chaIrmanship.
When congress reassembIes the Repuo-
lican members OF the senate VIII hold n
caucus, which ordinarily would have as
It's presiding officer, the senior member
of the party in the senate, who. at THIS
time. is Senator William p. Frye of
his wish TO be relieved from this duty
and the caucus Will be presided over by
either Senator Cullom the next ranking
member, or Senator Gallinger: who comes
next to Cullom in length of continuouS
service in the senate. The caucus VIII
select a committee on committees, prob
Hampshire its chairman. This com
mittee will consist OF nine members. and
will be charged with the duty OF arrang-
ing the new committee chairmanships
and memberships OF the Sixty second
congress. In doing this the committee
invites requests from ali Of the Repue-
lcan members of the senate as to their
preferences for committee assignments
and also as to chalrm0nships. where n
more than one committee. has the choice
Of two or more chairmanships.
Seniority Rule.
Seniority being the prevailing rule in
making promotions on committees and
In selecting chairmen. II is pretty well
determined at this time who Will be the
chairmen OF the principal committees
OF the senate. and the list is as follows:
Appropriations. F. f. Warren OF Wyo-
1g Ns% Ham5shi asnTy
OF Colorado. who Is also the ranking
member on the committee on mines and
charmanship OF these two committees;
claims, Coe /. Crawford of South Da-
kota; commerce. William p. Frye Of
Maine, the present chairman; District OF
ent chairman, finance, Boise Penrose OF
Pennsylvania. Efforts have been made
to induce Senator Cullom Of Illinois TO
take the Craftsmanship OF this committee
and to have Senator Penrosc retain his
present committee Craftsmanship on post |
Offices, and postroads. This effort. how
Penrosc will assume the Craftsmanship
OF the committee finance, and Sena- |
tor Cullom will retain his present chair
manship OF the committee on foreign re-
lations. The committee on immigration
Will be at the disposal of Senator La
Toilette of Wisconsin. and Indian affairs
of South Dakota, who is also the rank !
Ing member on the committee to audit
the expenses of the senate. of which he
VIII probably take the chairmanshlp. II
he should do this. Senator George Suth-
erland Of Utah will be entitled 10 the
chairranship of the Indian affairs COM
oceanic canals committee Is at the dis
posal Of Senator Frank B. Brandegee OF
Connecticut. The interstate commerce
committee will have az It's chairman Sem
ator Moses Z. Clapp OF Minnesota. the
present chairman OF the committee on
Indian affairs. The chairmanshlp OF the
OF arid lands will be given TO Senator
George S. Nixon of Nevada Senator
Clarence D. Clark OF Wyoming will re-
tain the Craftsmanship Of the committee
on judiciary The military affairs com
nittee of the senate vii, probably have
as its chairman Senator Henry a. Du
senator
Warren, who. as above stated. will take
the chairmanship of the appropriations
committee. Senator George c. Perkins
OF California VIII retain the chalrmanship
Senator Harry A. Richardson of Della
ware Is entitled to the chairmanship OF
Porto Rico: II he should decline to take
this committee. the chairmanship will he
at the disposal OF Senator William Lori
mer Of Illinois. Senator Porter J. Nc
Cumber OF North Dakota will retain the
chairmanship OF the committee on pen
sions. and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
the Philippines committee. The chair
manship Of the committee on postofhces
and postroads is at the disposal Of SEN
ator Crane OF Massachusetts who VIII be
the ranking member after Senator Pen
rose takes the cheirmanship Of tho
anance committee. but II is possible
his present chairmanship: that of the
committee on rules. In which event Sem
ator Jonathan Bourne Jr.. of Oregon.
committee. Senator Reed Smoot Of I-tab
will retain the chairmanship Of the com
mittee on printing. The chairmanship
tions is at the disposal OF Senator VII
liam P. Dillingham; of Vermont now
chairman OF the committee on ImmIgra
tion; II is. expected be wifi take This
craftsmanship. leaving immigration open
TO Senator La Toilette Senator weldon
b. Hepburn of Idaho will become chair
ings and grounds, Senator Knutc rTeIsnr
OF Minnesota, IL is expected. win ietain
MS present Craftsmanship OF the corn
mittee on public lands although be ic |
also the ranking member OF the commit !
tee on territories. and can assume that
Craftsmanship II he so desires
Position of Insurgents,
There has been considerable discussion
as TO the possibility Of the insurr.n,
members OF the Republican party endeav
or1ng TO overturn the customary practice
or assigning the committee rhairmun
ships and places through seniority. hui
ls believed there is no foundation for
ms assertion. AS matter of fact, The
insurCent members OF the senate gain
moro at this time through the appilca-
non OF the rule Of seniority I'm making
committee assignments than any other
eroup of senators. Under this rule sen
ator Cl9pp. one OF the leading insurgents
VIII obtain the chairmanship of one of
the most important committees II, the
senate. mat OF interstate commerce. SEN
committee on immieratIop. canota,