Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-01-16
COMMITTEE BUSY
HALLS DESERTED
DAILY SESSIONS OF HOUSE AND
SENATE POORLY ATTENDED.
WHILE MEMBERS ARE BUSY
IN COMMITTEES.
PUJO COMMITTEE, WAYS AND
MEANS, AND COMMITTEE ON
BANKING AND CURRENCY CEN
TIERS OF INTEREST.
(HcraH star Correspondence

| (HCdtd stag COrFcSpOHdcRt)
Washington. Jan. 15.-COngreSs is nc
| longer legiSlating. Congress is invcSti
! eating. That may sound little strong
But ii comes very close TO the real cOndi-
| ZION. The senate and the house have
| done mighty little in fortnight which
one could pass in review. The daily scS
SiOns have been icaniy attended and un
interesting. The average of members in
heir seats in the house would hardly
be more than forty or fifty. except when
the bells sounded for a quorum. Like
wise in the senate there has been 4 de-
scratcd appearance. Perhaps 4 dozen
or 4 score of senators is all one could
have counted ordinarily.
But over in the Office buildings. cspc-
cially in the house Office buildings. there
has been activity and interest Spccta-
:OrS from afar there are always many
IF them in Washington at this season Of
he year. want to know where the PujO
committee. investigating the money
trust. is working: and where the Garter
Glass committee. also hearing big New
York bankers on matters affecting rcviS-
ion of banking and currency laws. is
working. and where the ways and means
committee is holding forth with its daily
hearings of manufacturers who tell the
story of duties affecting their own lines
of cndeavOr.
Verify the wag at the capitol. who said
the other day that Washington was deal
ing in nothing but futures. hit it off quite
correctly. Everything of lively interest
has to do with what is to be done after
March 1. When Chairman Underwood.
sitting ut the center of the daiS in tho
WAYS and means hearing room. opens his
mouth. everybody il ut attention. There
may he some hint or indication Of what
he plans to do when il comes to drawing
up those tariff bills. He spoke hopeful
word of a recent day to an assembled
company Of pOtterS. told them they were
in competitive business and the com
mittee did not care to avail itself Of thcil
generous offer to open their books tC
show profits.
And the pOtterS departed, walking on
air. they were so OverjOyed. 1t was
pretty good evidence they thought that
their business was not to be unduly dis
turbcd by the forthcoming revision of
the tariff Soon aftcrward some file
manufacturers from Providence. Il. L..
were put on the grill. The ways and
means democrats are paying very great
deal of attention to the dividends of
highly protected corporations and
brought out from the Providence makers
of steel files and other tools that one
Providence firm which was making 6 per
cent on capitalization of $50. 600 not 50
many years ago is now paying 16 per
cent on capitalization Of $100O0OOO.
But if Representative Underwood goes
upon the floor Of the house Che has very
little time to 90 there these days Of tar
| iff hearings and lifts up his voice in the
proceedings. nobody seems to care. For
what boots it, in 4 national sense, what
the congress votes on an item here and
there on the inSial appropriation bin Or
| the poStoflicc appropriation bill. 1t will