The Washington herald., 1912-01-04

Alarmed at the increasing signs of COM
ms dissension in the House majority,
Democratic leaders are preparing for
party caucus In the near future. Many
members of the majority feel that the
meeting will be called within the next
week.
We will have TO have a caucus soon;
yes, very soon," is the way one member
summed up the situation yesterday
Chairman Underwood, OF the Ways and
Means Committee, majority leader OF the
House, and Chairman Henry, Of the
Rules Committee, have not yet an
nounced a date for the caucus.
Before january 15.
As one Of the subjects to be considered
by the caucus is the proposed big cut in
duties in the iron and steel schedule, and
as the Ways and Means Committee ex-
poets to report that schedule out before
the middle Of the month, it is considered
probable that January Is will show wheth-
er the House majority will continue in
harmony or split on the rocks of econ
Omy.
From the attitude of a number of
leaders, economy seems TO be the fly in
the Democratic ointment Economy
was one of the loudest cries Of Democ-
racy during the last campaign. 1t. was
a pledge which Chairman Fitzgerald, Of
the important Appropriations Committee
Of the House, started in to redeem
Now Mr.. Fitzgerald is admittedly face
10 face with failure. More II the de-
sires of his plum-picking colleagues are
carried out Mr.. Fitzgerald's committee
and party may be charged with rank
oNtraVagance. The New Yorker. HIM
self big business man. has found that
he cannot make any great reductions in
the expenses of running the government
without impairing the efficiency of the
various departments. This he is un-
willing to do. But in effecting such
economies as he deems practicable, and
in keeping the expenditures from the
Federal Treasury as low as possible. Mr..
tltzgrald wants the support OF his Dem
oeratic colleagues in the House, and this
support has been denied him. In fact.
he finds party lines badly nangIed as
tar as expenditures are concerned.
scIf-sacriflce Hard.
The Democrats have been spending or
preparing to spend a good deal of money
In Mr. Fitzgerald's opinion. Now they
are planning to spend good deal more,
and the caucus will be asked to nip this
plan in the bud. And as practically
asked to cut down his own supply of
Patronage pork by voting with the
leaders, the caucus at least does not
promise immediate harmony
When the Democrats of the House saw
a chance to gather up the old soldier
vote by passing a bill which the Repub-
lican party had lodged for years, Mr..
Fitzgerald, almost with tears in his eyes,
pleaded for his economy programme. re-
minding the Democrats that the Sher-
wood bill, II enacted into law, would
take about S45o00.0 900 out of the Federal
treasury the first year and make impos-
sible the fulfillment of the economy
pledge In the Democratic platform. Mr..
Fitzgerald called the attention Of his col
leagues 20 the twenty-odd investigating
committees OF the House, and to the fact
that they had spent many thousands OF
dollars without accomplishing any start
ling exposures. But the Democrats and
Republicans passed the Sherwood bill,
leaving the question Of economy up to
the Republican Senate or the Republican
President.
Insist on Buildings Bill.
Now, worse and more of it, along |
comes the Public Buildings and Grounds
COMMITTEES. Of the House, and in the face |
Of remonstrances from Underwood, |
Henry, and Fitzgerald, votes almost |
unanimously to report TO the House an |
omnibus building bill, carrying more than |
500 items and calling for expenditures es- 4
tfmated at from 100000 to $4,000 |
The caucus will be asked to instruct the /
Public Buildings and Grounds Commit /
tee not to report in the bill, or. in the
event that the bill shall be reported 10
the House, to vote it down. But mas
much as the bill will contain provisions
for public buildings in about 300 Con-
Eressional districts, 1t is not to be ex-
pected that the caucus will take away its
own plums without wriggling a little at
the self-sacrihce.
The members who have items in the
bill will be asked to sacrifice rsonal
security for the party welfare Every
public building obtained for their dis
tricts means a strong argument in their
favor when the November elections roll
around. They help lots with the voters
while il may help the party. nightly.
VIII not necessarily roll up any votes
for the buildingiess members.
Rivers and HarbOrs Bill.
Another possibility makes It impera-
tive. in the minds OF the Democratic
leaders, that the Public Buildings and
Grounds Committee be whipped into line.
The other big annual pork barrel' OF
the House, the rivers and harbors bill.
has yet to be heard from definitely. But
II the public buildings barrel is tapped
and distributed the Rivers and Harbors
Committee viii turn in and demand con-l
sideration for their fee box, which it will
cost in the neighborhood OF $30,O0O,OO0 TO
hH according to the embryonic plans of
The committee at present
In view OF these conditions and the
TACT that number Of investigating COM
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