The Washington herald., 1912-07-13
DISTRICT BILLS
DEAD FOR SESSION
Inability of House Committee tc
Assemble Quorum Pigeonholes
Local Legislation.
UTILITIES MEASURE HELD UP

Despite the petition OF the Chamber Of
Commerce that Congress act on some of
the important District measures which
have not yet been prepared for the
Presidents signature. from present indi-
cations 1t is extremely unlikely that many
additional bills for the District will be
enacted into law this session.
With the present hot weather calling
upon the members for an exodus and
with a very earnest desire to get back
to their districts as quickly as possible.
nothing which does not seem TO promise
aid for an early adjournment programme
interests them. Every effort is now being
made to bring about a cessation of work
as soon after August / as possible.
Present indications. however. do not
point TO a getaway much before the
middle OF next month, and II Is probable
that then only the House will be able
to leave. as the Senate seems likely to
be tied up with the Archibald impeach-
ment trial as soon as Its Legislative decks
have been cleared. II the Senate decides
to take up the impeachment trial at this
session II is probable the House Will be
authorized TO adjourn without waiting
for the upper chamber.
Cannot Get Quorum.
As far as the House District Commit
tee is concerned, there seems 10 be vir-
tually no possibility of further action.
For more than two months II has been
impossible TO assemble a quorum OF the
committee on any OF the regular meet
ing days While the lateness OF the hour
may now be held responsible for this
lack Of interest, the real reason for the
continued failure 10 assemble a quorum
is pretty generally believed 10 be the
excise bill. which came over from the
Senate last spring and has been await
ing action in the committee. While there
are a number OF members who are ready
and willing TO meet this issue, and who
have signified such willingness by show
ing up each meeting day, there are
enough members who do not want to
vote on the liquor question TO make the
gathering of a quorum OF the committee
almost impossible. The liquor question
is a bugbear at election time. and many
members are coming up for reelection
this fall. They do not want 10 have to
explain TO the anti-liquor people why
they did not vote for the bill. or the
liquor interests why they did vote for
the bill So the easiest way to dodge the
issue has been TO absent themselves from
meetings Of the committee.
II does not necessarily follow from this
that a majority of the committee is un-
willing to take a stand on the question.
1t indicates, rather, a lack OF working
cooperation on the part OF those men,
bers who are prepared 10 vote.
Would Let House Vote.
A resolution recently has been intro
duced and referred to the Rules Com
mittee seeking 10 discharge the District
Committee from consideration of the
liquor bill and to bring that measure
before the House as a privileged meas
ure. Even IL this resolution should be
reported out by the Rules Committee, 1t
is extremely doubtful II II could be
passed through the House now or at any
time before election.
The Senate District Committee has
Kept its decks pretty well cleared up
throughout the session. and there Is no
important legislation now before II upon
which early action might be expected
under ordinary circumstances.
Senator Ballinger. its chairman, has
orked unusually hard for the District
this session. and his committee has stood
behind him and put through the Senate
a number Of important measures. Sena-
tor Gallinger is now tired from his
abors with the District Committee and
the Appropriations Committee and the
confinement Is president pro TEN during
;he hearing on the Lorimer case. and II
is not expected the Senate Dostrict Com
mittee will spend much more time on
the District this session.
Perhaps the greatest cause for regret
over the inability OF the House Commit
tee to transact business arises from the
failure OF the Gallinger-Works-Ol -Oldfield
public utilities measure 10 see the light
Of day after having passed the Senate
in substantially the same form as il
was presented to the House earlier in
the session by Representative Oldfeld.
The cause for the failure OF this meas
ure to reach the House calendar this
session is not definitely known. At pres
ent the excise bill is blocking the way.
but the bill was ready for action by the
committee before the consistent absence
of a quorum put a sop TO District busi-
ness in committee.
May Be Joker.
The mea sure was reported back 20 the
full committee by n subcommittee and
rested without action IN the committee
rooms for several weeks. while Chair
man Johnson was reading. II over for
flaws Whether he found any or not. or
whether he believes some Joker may
have slipped into the measure which
makes its presentation to the House un-
wise, is not known. This explanation
finds some credence. The general feeling
is, however. that the measure, admit
tedly the most important presented to
the committee this session, is the victim
Of the chairman's dilitory tactics. which
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