Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-04-07
DEMOCRATS TRIM
THE PATRONAGE
CAUCUS OF NEW MAJORITY IN
LOWER BODY or CONGRESS
AIMS At ECONOMIES. :.
NINE1y-EIGH1 OFFICES KILLED
Total Saving Of $1e2,soo 10 Purposed
In Expenditures For Employees.
Rules Changes I'm.
portant,

uUv0U tUANOeO SW'
portant.
Washington, April 3-In harmon
and with yigor, the Democrats Of tn
house Of representatives in the sixty
!. second congress. went at their ceucu
work of organization, determining
s committee assignments and devisin'
economies through reductions of use
:, less employees and abandonment o
non-working committees.
The first act of the caucus was Il
issue directions looking to the abolish
mont of about one.fourth of. the pat
ronage jobs Of the house. saving
. thereby $120,6S0; discontinuance O
six committees at a saving Of $4,000
and abandonment of the practice Of
allowing employees months extra
pay, saving $4,000. This is a total
saving Of $1S2.6S0 Of last years total
expenditures for house employees of
e shout $7s0,0oo.
4 legislative program was adopted,
which 10 expected to confine the activ-
tiles of the coming extra session Of
congress to popular election Of sen.
ators. Canadian reciprocity, tariff re-
vision. investigation Of governmental
departments, congressional reappor.
tionment. statehood for Arizona and
New Mexico, general deficiency appro.
priations, District Of Columbia legis-
lation and publicity Of campaign con-
2tributions. w
Important. changes Of the procedure
sad q general reorganization will re-
suit from the action of the Democratic.
The power Of naming committees was
definitely taken from the speaker by
The rules and lodged in the house 1t.
self. Committee members are to be
slected by the house. not only in the
drst instance, but also in the filling Of
vacancies.
3 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 filibusterine
under the rule giving authority to dis
eharge committees from considera.
lion OF hills.
A provision permitting amendment
10 appropriation bills whenever thos,
amendments will result in retrench
mont of national expenditures.
Authority for bills to come up twice
Tor passage under the unanimous con
sent privilege.
The new rule TO prevent filibuster.
mg provides that bill shall be read
only by its title and that it's title shall
not be more than 100 words long. II
prohibits any member from having be
fore the house at any time more than
Two motions to discharge committees
from the custoday Of bills. Under
this rule the democrats believe this
rule can be made to work as original
y intended, to prevent the burying Of
bills in committee. IL
The caucus was presided over BY
Albert S. Burleson, Of Texas, as chair
man, and w. A. Ashbrook, of Ohio, az
secretary.
Patronage shorn.
Patronage is taken away from the
sergeant at arms. doorkeeper.. post
master and clerk Of the house, who
are prevented from appointing any Of
their subordinates except on the rec
emmendation Of the committee on or
sanitation. These recommendations,
% previously stated. are to be based
on an equal division Of patronage
among the members.
Under the speaker three Offices are
abolished. but two Offices already OK
listing are transferred to him to fill
Under the clerk of the house rs posi-
lions are abolished at a net saving Of
D39.970. Under the sergeant at arms
. cut Of AZ is made in the special cap
ltol police force. The senate will have
to concur in this reduction, which m
,cludes one captain, two lieutenants,
"a policemen and five privates, saving
ie47,05O. The doorkeeper will lose ~
positions, saving $31,340.
South Trimble, of Frankfort, KY,
who was member of the fifty.seveuth
congress, was unanimously elected
clerk of the new house.
U. S. jackson, of Indiana was elect
ed sergeant-at-arms, defeating William
r. Ryan, Of Buffalo, by a vote Of ia
10 81.
Joseph ]. sinnott, of Virginia, was
elected by reclamation to be door.
keeper of the house.
William M. Dunbar, of Augusta, Ga.
was elected postmaster on the third
ballot, defeating "A. G., Bremner, OF
New Jersey, 104 to "a.
Rev. E. Couden, the blind chaplain
was reelected by exclamation to hit
position. He has served as chaplain
!. for nearly dozen years.