The Washington times., 1913-07-22
AUTOMATIC VOTERS
IS WALSH'S SCHEME
Device Proposed by New Jer-
sey Legislator Would Save
Time in House.

- Urging the installation of an electrical
voting device in the House, Congress
man Walsh Of New Jersey appeared be-
fore the Rules Committee today and
outlined a scheme for automatic voting.
Mr.. Walsh told the committee he had
worked out the preliminary details of a
fine system, which he proposes shall be
investigated by a committee Of three
members.
Mr.. Walsh, who is a practical cleo
trician, wants to put big bulletin board
somewhere in the House chamber. On
the board would be the names OF every
member of the house. set of with blue
and a red electric bulb, or bulfs-eye.
These would be connected with the desks
ber wanted to vote aye" he would turn
a key and fash the red light; II no
the blue light would be flashed.
. II will not go into the design OF the
bulletin" said Mr.. Walsh to the House
committee, because 1t will have 10
meet the approval of the Commission
OF Fine Arts, but II would be a beau
tifuI and ornamental construction. Mr.
Walsh will outline his plan more IN ue-
tail II the committee acts 'favoraoly on
his resolution to name three members
to decide upon an electrical Young ue-
vice in the House.
Would Save Time.
The New Jersey member says he
agrees with Speaker Clark that time is
An important thing in Congress, and he
promises to get UP a voting device that
will save the half hour or more now
spent on every roll call. He also prom
ises a system to add and record the
votes after they are taken on the bulle-
tin board.
Mr.. Walsh, in a preliminary explana-
ton of his scheme. said:
THE plan which l now have in mind
is to have a bulletin board in some con-
venient place in the house. preferably
over the Speakers head, on which the
name Of every member will appear in
alphabetical order sufficiently cOnspicu-
Gus to be read from any part Of the
chamber or gallery.
AT one end of each members name
there would be a small red 'bulTs-eye'
lens behind which there woud be an
electric lamp, and at the other end of
each members name there would be i
similar lens of different color, say,
for instance. dark blue, behind which
there would also be an electric lamp.
-...., Switches at Seats.
AT cNcTy seat "Oulu
be a double point lock key switch and
no switch. could be operated by any
other than the members own key.
When the vote would be called for each
member would insert his key into the
switch and turn 1t one way to turn on
the red light, which would indicate yea,
and the other way to turn on the blue
Light, which would indicate nay. after
which the member would withdraw his
key. There can be no mistake. for
every member, as we'll as every one
else in the House, could look at the
bulletin and see how he voted.
Now you see that the bulletin would
be decorated with red and blue glaring
buIrs-eyes' and would remain that
way for a Reriod of time sufficient to
his office to come to the House.
After whatever time that Congress
might allow for each vote to be taken
had expired, and there was no call for
the absentees, the clerk would touch a
rutton, which would total the yeas and
nays and automatically the totals
would appear in figures on the bottom
of the bulletin. The total of the yeas
in red figures and the total of the nays
in blue figures"