The Washington herald., 1913-01-12
POMERENE HAS
.C0MMITIEEPLAN
Ohio Senator Would Relieve
Lawmakers of More Than
One Heavy Place.
NO TIME FOR CALLERS
Several Republican Senators Are Fa-
vorable to Scheme Of Junior
Ohio Member.
NO TIME FOR CALLERS

Sweeping changes In the future pro-
cedure of the Senate Is contemplated by
Senator Pomerene, who Is working out
plan whereby every Senator will re-
ceive an equal and fair apportionment to
committee assignments. and at the same
time be relieved Of heavy existing re-
sponsibilities.
Frequently constituents call at tbs
Capitol in the morning hours to lay i'm
i'ortant home matters before their Sena-
tors and are met with this plea
am very sorry, but ! have two i'm
portant committee meetings to-day, ana
this afternoon a bill comes up and I
must be on the floor" It is proposed to
obviate such excuses and Senator Pom
creme thinks It can be brought about.
Senator Pomerene. himself a new mem
Der OF the upper branch OF Congress, Is
one of the hardest workers In that body.
II so happens that the committees to
which he was assigned had an unusually
large amount Of work during the present
| Congress.
He was called on to attend the hear
ings instituted by the Interstate Com
merce Committee to investigate the
trusts and transportation companies
As a member Of the Committee on
Privileges and Elections, he took a prom
inent part in the Lorimer and Stephen
| son cases. and his work resulted In his
| appointment as a member Of the cam
paign contribution inquisition, where he
has become the ranking minority MEM
Der. and. according to the records. done
most Of the cross-examining Of the wit
nesses
No Time for Constituents.
Senator Pomerene found that his COM
mittee duties were so combining that he
had hardly a moment to spare for de-
psrtmental work or TO give TO his con-
stituents.
One day, before the November cleo
| tions. he was talking matters over with
another Senator. who, like himself. was
| hard pressed with committee work.
Later he examined the personnel OF the
Senate committees and found that a ma
jority OF the older members, Of both
political parties. were in the same fix
as himself. Several of them are mem
bers OF the most important committees:
they sometimes are obliged TO leave one
committee meeting to go to another, and
often on the floor of the Senate they
have double work to perform in putting
, through appropriation and other bills
coming from the several committees to
which they belong.
For instance. Senator Bacon Is a menu
Der OF the Judiciary Committee, Foreign
Relations. and Rules three leading COM
mittees. and also has a membership on
Railroads. Standard Weights and Meas
ures. and Land Claims.
Senator Tillman. who has many years
OF credit TO his service. Is on Appropria-
tons. Interstate Commerce. Naval At
fairs, and chairman of the Five Civilized
Tribes Of Indians.
Senator GallInge-. head Of the District
Committee for long time. is a member
of Appropriations, Finance. Civil Service
and Rules, the biggest committees Of the
Senate.
Only One Big Committee.
II is Senator Pomerene's idea to have
but one of the most important commit
tee assignments given to a Senator.
He thinks a plan can be easily worked
out whereby every Senator can be so
placed that each one will have one as
signment on one of the six big commit
tees. This would avoid friction. and re-
suit, in the opinion Of several Senators.
Of greatly expediting the business OF the
Senate The Finance and Appropriations
Committee, which now are composed of
Senators who belong TO committees like
Agriculture and Military Affairs. would
be made up from a list OF Senators who
can give ample time to the one big COM
mittee. and then take the minor appoint
ments Of the other committees.
While the Pomerene plan is a tentative
proposition, il is attracting much talk IN
the Senate. Several OF the Republican
Senators are favorably inclined.