The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-04-02
MAJORITY OF MEMBERS OF
HOUSE CAUCUS DECIDES ON
PROGRAM FOR SESSION.
SPEAKERS POWER GOES
Appointment OF Committees TO Rest
With house--Fiiibusssring to Be
Prevented--Mennb bers Are Assigned
TO Various Committees-Harmon
Prevails In Meeting and No Friction
Develops.

Washington. April LIN party
caucus noteworthy for it's harmony and
the smoothness of It's progress. the
democratic members of the new house
Of representatives today adopted with
out change the committee assignments,
the economy program and the new
rules prepared for the coming session
by the committees that have been
working In the last month.
Important changes In procedure and
a general reorganization of the house
Will result from the action of the dem
ocrats. The power of naming commit
tees was definitely taken from the
speaker by the rules and lodged In the
house itself
Committee members are to be elected
by the house. not only In the first
instance. but also in the filling OF
vacancies.
a saving OF $4,000 in the annual
cost of running congress Is promised
through the cutting out of superfiuous
employees and Inactive committees and
through the adjustment of time-hon-
ored extra months pay" Appointive
places are put into tho hands OF one
committee, n special body to be known
ms the committee on organization and
the scramble for congressional posi-
tions will center about its door
/ At the night session a legislative
/, program was adopted and officers were
elected as follows:
Clerls-South Trlmbln OF Frankfort.
Ky, who was member of the Fifty
| seventh congress.
Sergeant -arms-u. $. Jackson of
Indiana, who defeated William II.
Ryan Of New York. by vote OF ia
10 81.
Doorkeeper--Josenh j. Slnno.t OF
Virginia.
Reconsideration NJ. Dunbar OF
Augusta. Ga. was elected on the third
ballot, defeating X. @. Bremmer OF
New Jersey. 10i to 81.
A legislative program was submitted
by Chairman Underwood OF the ways
ana means committee and adopted by
the caucus. IL Is designed To limit
the activities of the extra session to
such questions as popular election OF
senator's. Canadian reciprocity. tariff
revision. investigation of government
al departments. congressional reappor-
tionment. statehood for Arizona and
New Mexico. general deficiency appro-
pration. District of Columbia legisla-
tion and publicity Of campaign contri-
buttons.
Rey. Henry n. Couden of Port
Huron, Mich, who for many years has
imously reelected. The caucus ad-
journed AT midnight
Changes in Rules.
| The important changes In the rules
under which the new congress will
operate are:
The selection Of committees by the
house.
| a provision to prevent filibustering
under the rule giving authority to dis
charge committees from consideration
of bills.
\ provision permitting amendments
to appropriation bills whenever these
amendments will result in retrench-
ment Of national expenditures.
Authority for bills TO come up twice
! for passage under the unanimous con-
sent privilege.
| The rule TO prevent filibustering on
a motion to discharge committee
| from custody of bin Is the result OF
| the filibuster conducted in the last
session by Representative Mann OF IL
linois. He had the postoffiee reorgan-
izatIon bill placed on the calendar un-
read completely, an operation that con-
snmed several days.
The new rule provides that a bill
shall be read only by It's title and
| that It's title shah not be more than
100 words long. IL prohibits any
member from having before the house
at any one time more than two mo-
tIons 10 discharge committees from the
custody Of bills. Under this rule the
democrats believe il can be made to
work a. originally intended to prevent
the burying of bills In committee.
"Holman Rule" Revived.
The new rule affecting appropriation
Holman rule" first used by the DEM
, ocrats in 1875. II permits amendments
to appropriation bills Of wide char
actcr, whom these amendments will af !.
feet reduction of federal expendi-
lures. 4
The democratic caucus met In the
house chamber this morning and it4
III