Arizona republican., 1912-12-17
So-Called Progressive Ele- ment Holds Conferences Trying to Work Out New Plan for Distribution of Committee Places
TO ACCORD
 WITH WILSON
Claim is Made That They Will See That New and Old Members Are Given Equal Showing in Next Congress
ASSOCIATED PRESS pIsPATcHl

ASSOCIATED PRESS blSi lCii WASHINGTON, Dec 16.- The fight within the democratic party to con trol the senate under the next admin istration has taken definite form with in the last few days as a result of the concerted action of a small body of democrats toward laying the basis of what they term progressive control. of the next congress. series of con ferences eliminating in a dinner yes terday at which nearly a dozen demo- cratS were present resulted in gen eral understanding that re -organiZa- ton movement will be instituted, de signed to insure the control of legisla- ton and policies after March by senators in ful sympathy with the views of President elect Wilson.
 No detailed program has been out lined, but a campaign it is under stood which will invole the entire sub ject of senate control and direction of affairs by senators was approved by the re-organizers and the establish ment of a new system of committee assignments will distribute the impor- tant committee places alike to men, old and new in the senate. The senate fight is expected to reach President elect Wilson as soon as he takes up the question of legislation. The lead CTS of the democratic insurgent move ment assert that at least twenty seven or the forty-nine democrltlc senators of the next congress will sup port their views of the progressive acti To least seventeen of the thirty-six hold over senators will align themselves with the reorganization element and that a majority of the incoming democrats will join them
 The fight for places on tEe import ant senate committees is an lntegral part of the new movement. The in sirgent democratic forces probably will demand a fair distribution place among the new and old members on the five leading cOmmittees-appro- priations, finance, foreign relations judiciary and interstate commerce and similar distributions on the five next important committees --com merce, military affairs, naval affairs postoffice and agriculture.
 Such an arrangement would change the seniority system under which the old senators have the choice of places and often hold commanding positions on several of the leading committees
 Senators identified with the move ment refused to outline today the eX- tent to which the organization mlgh affect democrats of long service hkt Senators Tillman, Simmons. OVerman Martin, CulbersOn, Bacon and John ston. Senator Owen. however, sait in the case of a member of the senate who has choice at present Of a mum Der of important places we woul' give the senator thus situated one gooC place an then distribute the othe desirable appointments"
 A general conference late in Feb ruary to take in the new senators l now in contemplation by the mel identified with the re-orSanizatol movement. If the control of the com mittee is established it is generall understood that the democrats Wh term themselves progressive will the undertake to direct the legislation.
 Those who have participated in tn conference thus far are Senators LeS of Tennessee: Smith of Georgia Smith of South Carolina; Meyers c Montana; Newlands of Nevada; AS hurst of Arizona; Gore and Owens Oklahoma; Stone of Missouri; O'Gor man of New York; Martin of Ne Shepperd of Texas, prospective sue cessor to Senator Bailey.