Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-12
EXCISE BILL DOOMED
No Chance for Jones Works
Measure at This Session.
HOBSON MOTION WILL FAIL
Members of Rules Committee Deter
mined Not to Set Precedent.
BILLS SUPPORTERS ACTIVE
Christian Endeavorers Hard at Work
Lining Up Representatives in
Final Effort to Secure Action.
HOBS0N MOTION WILL FAIL
BILLS SUPPORTERS ACTIVE

Not the slightest chance exists that the
rules committee of the House of Repre-
sentatiVes will make a favorable report
on the Hobson resolution to take the
Jones-Works excise bill from the District
committee and place it on the floor OF the
House as a privileged matter, to be voted
on this week or at this session OF Con-
gress, SO far as can be learned at the
CapitoE
The assertion is made after careful
search of the facts which surround the
liquor and excise situation in the House
of Representatives. The authority for the
statement cannot be given, as the liquor
question is a delicate matter with con-
gressmen. Some of them have liquor and
anti-liQuor fights in their own district. to
which they will return shortly for re-elc-
ton.
To those who will not quote them. rep
resentatives today freely discussed the
Jones-Works bill, which is intended to
regulate the liquor traffic in Washington.
The opinion which prevails after these in
terviews is that the rules committee Will
not make special matter of the Jones'
Works bill.
bill to the floor of the House. One Of
them would be by way of the Jackson
resolution to take the bill from the
District committee and pass it on the
floor of the House. This resolution was
not introduced Saturday. despite the
statement that it had been placed in
the hopper on the Speakers table
Another resource left to the advocates
of the Jones' Works bill is by an arrange
ment with the Speaker whereby MEM
Der can arise on the floor and ask unani-
nous consent to discuss the bill 1mme-
diately, or he may ask suspension of
the rules. This latter procedure requires
a two-thirds vote and precludes amend
ment.
Not to Be Privileged.
Because these resources have not been
tried to their fullest extent members
of the rules committee say today they
will not make a privileged matter OF
the bill.
1T has never been done before, said
one Of the members. and it will not be
done now. This committee has great
number Of bills and resolutions before it.
Suppose we should take a purely local
bill from a committee and put it on the
floor? Why, we would have the commit
tees all through the House on our backs
in a moment and serious controversy
would result.
Here we have bills from all over the
country, some of them affecting the ma
ton at large, and we have these to dis
cuss and consider at length: yet along
comes the proposition to have us jump
on this local bill and give it precedence
over everything else. There isn't the
slightest chance for it.
The man who said this is in favor of
limiting the sales of liquor in this city.
Calendar Overwhelmed.
While members of Congress who are
in strong favor of getting action on
the Jones Works bin are seeking
way to overcome the legislative DIM
culties, they recognize that even IL
Representative Jackson OF Kansas does
introduce resolution to discharge the
District committee from the conSldera-
ton of the bill. his motion must go to
the discharge calendar, which already
has upon it eighty-one motions to dis
charge various committees, all of
which must be disposed of before the
jackson motion could be called up.
The House has not considered any mo-
ton to discharge committee in more
than year.
more or less than many legislative diff
ficulties in the way of consideration of
the bill. and while many anti-liquor advo-
Gates are besieging the rules committee,
every one IN tIlo House vi ISSpIcScHtd-
tives knows that the matter is up to the
District committee, just where 1T was
weeks ago. when the bill came to the
House from the Senate
1t is quite possible to outline the views
Of the various members of the District
committee on the liquor subject but as
their opinions are given in confidence to
those who know them best it is practi-
cable only to say that most of the District
committee members come from districts
N,~ti ont h0 n
gained the upper hand, and these men,
bers. while having individual views on
the liquor traffic, simply will not take on
an added liquor fight just previous to 60
ing home and handling one of their own:
One of the beSt-informed members of
the District committee is in favor of es-
tablishing a liquor investigation commit
tee next session. This committee would
get the facts of the liquor question here,
and get them quietly, and then make
report to Congress. This possibly will be
the plan followed by the House if the
present conjectures that no liquor leglS-
lation will be taken up proves true.
Amendments Needed.
Many members of Congress have said
that the Jones' Works bill needs amend
ment, and some of them claim that L. c.
Dinwiddle head of the fight for the bill,
has claimed that amendments are needed,
and this is being used to defeat any tao
tics to bring the present unamended bill
to the floor. If the bill is brought up on
the floor by unanimous consent no
amendments can be added.
Zone thing that can be done, however. is
to make new bill provided with the
amendments deemed necessary. introduce
that bill. and with perfect understand
ing all around bring it up under unani-
nous consent. However, if one single
voice is raised to say Il object" the bill
cannot come up for passage in that way.
What lies behind these tactics is, of
course, a matter of conjecture. Rep
resentatives in Congress are not seek
ing to be interviewed on their liquor
views. 1t is a delicate matter Many
of them felt grieved today when they
read purported interviews with them
They determined to keep their mouths
closed and cast whatever votes are
necessary in accordance with their
best judgment.
1t is safe to say that all the leaders Of
the House will vote for proper excise
measure for the District. However. the