The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-04-05
In House, According to
Democratic Program.
THE PARTY CAUCUS ABOLISHES
A Fourth of the Jobs, Six Com
mites, and AbandOnS
Extra Pay.
NEARLY 100000 SUN SAVED

Washington, April 1.-The Dem
ocrats of the House of Representa-
tives in the Sixty-second Congress
to-day went at their caucus work of
organization, committee assign
ments and economies through re-
auctions of useless employees and
abandonment of non-working COM
mfttees.
The first act of the caucus was to
issue directions looking to the abol-
ishment of about one-fourth of the
patronage jobs of the House. saw
ing thereby $12O,6SO; discontinue
ance of six committees, at a saving
of $4,000, and abandonment of the
Republican practice of allowing en-
ployes a months extra pay, saving
$4,000. This is a total saving of
$780, $50 Of last years total expen-
ditures for House employees of about
$7SO,OOO.
Following this the caucus adopt
ed resolutions looking to the simpli-
fcation of the House rules, that
confusion caused by use of the great
multitude of presidents, so conflict
ing, might be done away with.
The selection of House officers to
complete the House organization
and ratification of the committee
assignments as prepared by the
House committee on committees.
came later.
Chairman Underwood, of the
Committee on Ways and Means.
presented a resolution to have the
caucus decide on the extent % leg
islation and its scope to be permit
ted at the extra session.
A committee on organization was
authorized with powers to parcel
out all appointive positions. Under
the House organization, chairmen Of
committees will name committee
employees, such as clerks, messen-
gers and janitors, but will get no
other patronage. Other jobs will
be distributed among members
equally, thereby giving each mem
Der not a committee chairman
about S2,7O0 worth of patronage.
Necessarily this patronage will go
to the various States in proportion
to their Democratic representation
The six committees abolished are:
Pacific Railroads, Levees of the Mis-
sissippi River, Militia, Private Land
Claims, Manufactures and Ventila-
ton and Acoustics.
The predictions of Champ Clark.
Chairman Underwood and other
leaders that the caucus would be
harmonious were borne out,
Not a discordant note was sound
ed at the meeting of about 200 of
the 22S Democratic members-elect.
Not a roll-call was required on a
single proposition advanced by the
men who had been charged with
preparing plans for organization
and legislation.
Many speeches were made. There
was continuous general debate, in
which new members participated
with freedom, but no clashes occurr-
ed and no bitterness was manifest
ed.
Representative Burleson, of Tex,
succeeded Judge Clayton, OF Alaba-
ma, as permanent chairman of the
caucus, the honor going to him be-
cause of his gracefully-accepted de-
feat for Chairman of the Committee
on Appropriations Ashbrook, of
Ohio, is secretary of the caucus.
A. Mitchell Palmer, of the Com
mittee on Ways and Means, chair
man of a subcommittee on position
pruning. presented the economy re-
port, abolishing useless jobs and
committees.
The Committee on Accounts was
directed to introduce legislation to
carry into effect the reduction in
jobs, and the Committee on Rules
will look after the topping off of
the six committees.
Champ Clark, as Speakers, is au-
thorized to fill the regular positions
under the Speaker and to name also
the Journal clerk, now under the
House, and the messenger at the