Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-08-17
CONGRESSMEN FALL DOWN Oh PROMISES New Members of House Get ting Wise to Intricacies
 of Legislation
ARE UP AGAINST TT
Naucus Rule Ties the Hands of House Committees With Few Ex.
 captions.
BY sLGE KHAN WINFIELD

<
 - Washington. Aug. 16.-The new members of the House-there are ap- .proximately 150 of them-are begin ming to find out something about the intricacies of legislation at Wasing- ton and just now they are busy ex- plaining away bunch of campaign promises. The new member isn't getting anywhere with pet legislation and he is a sorely distressed individ- Mal.
 Nearly seven thousand bills and resolutions have been introduced in the House of Representatives since President Wilson called the Sixty Third Congress into extra session early in April. About one in hund- red have received consideration and the ratio bids fair to be maintained during the remainder of the extra ses- sion owing to rule of the Democratic caucus, which binds the house com mittees not to report out legislation
 
 before the regular session which be- gins in November.
 In consequence of this unexpected caucus rule, the new member who came to Congress leaving many prom ises behind is up against it. His hands are tied. he may introduce bills and resolutions to his hearts con- tent, but they won't get anywhere for months, and perhaps not then. It is embarrassing to make explanations, especially when a statesmen beat out some other fellow by promising big things for the district.
 The Democratic caucus early in the extra session, took hurried review of the stacks of bills dropped into the House hopper. And thereupon resolv- ed that the extra session was called to consider currency Legislation ana tariff revision The caucus adopted a resolution tieing the hands Of all House committees except Ways and Means. Banking and Currency. Ap- propriations, Mileage. and Accounts. and Rules. If a bill of resolution isn't referred to one of these committees it is up against long wait.
 The average new member, as soon as he reaches the house chamber walks up to the bill basket and drops therein bill providing that the town of Jonesyille shall have $29,OOo postoffice. He follows this with a dozen or so bills proposing that cer- tain worthy pensioners in his district shall have their annual pensions in creased. Then he comes along with the crying complaint that the little Ben river needs about $o0,0O0 or $100,0OO to improve navigation in or der that the towns of Squash Center and Hickory Hollow may have ln- creased transportation facilities.
 Congressman Newcome then pass ed the word along to the newspaper correspondent representing the Home paper that he has introduced the fore going bill and will push it to an early passage. The people back home are duly elated and begin to get glad that they retired the former Congressman and sent so active successor i'll his place
 In a short time the new member drops around to the committee to which his various pet kind bills nave been referred. Without desiring to appear too solicituous. he gently in quires when he may expect the com mittee to get together and take up the pressing need of his district. The chairman, with equal gentleness' breaks the news that it will be abso- lutely impossible to do anything for the present.
 In the first place, says the chair man, quorum of the committee lsn' in the town. In the second place the caucus has forbid the report of any thing except currency. tariff reform and pressing appropriations bills or resolutions at this session. The new member is absolutely unable to see the justice of such a mandate, even though he may have been member oi inc caucus. He thought the rule would apply to the other fellow, not himself. There is general woe ant lsmentatiOn.
 It is the same old story. told ovel in about fifty different ways. Eacf new member has peculiar complain to make, and peculiar local needs t' satisfy. There is nothing doing, how ever. and the recruit statesman l +nld that he will have to wait untl