The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-03-06
NEW SEATING ARRANGEMENTS
WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE
EXTRA SESSION
EASY CHAIRS TO BE oUsTED
Capacity OF Chamber Greatly Inereas-
ed = Representatives Will Get
Along With Business Better and
Faster After the Change,
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

bored, they will not know it, At 2
O'Clock on the afternoon of March 4.
inauguration day Superintendent
Woods OF the capitol building, will di-
rect as big force. az he can press
into service TO the task of ripping out
the time-honored desks and swivel
chairs and of ccrting them to a store
house preliminary to their sale as
Junk. a~s, %
When congress meets in extra ses-
sion the members OF the house will
cit on benches like those in use in
the house OF commons. Easy chairs
will become things Of lhe past and
the roomy desks OF the present will
keep them CASTOR company. Most
of the members say they will like the
change, but there are others who
have their doubts. The doubters
forced a compromise in the plans a
few days ago The stern simplicity
OF the original arrangement has been
changed and grstuity has been
granted in the shape of long. eontin.
uous cushions for the benches The
more aged members and their lean, II
younger, brethren, forced this COM
promise TO comfort .rs. ...- ..s
Unquestionably the house OF rep
resentatives will get along with bust
ness better and faster under the
bench arrangement. The house. with
its present membership is soyercrovd-
ed. and at the next session, II the
change were not to be made, there
would be more members than seats.
The lover house today has 394 mem
hers. In April, when the house il
called TO order, there will be present,
or ought to be present, ass members.
Under any conditions this will be
rather an unwieldly deliberative body
of men, but with concentration with;
out crowdiRg" the members will be
brought closer together and nearer the
speaker. and will be so seated that
they can hear any speaking member,
something which is usually impossible
today. @-ar Wa IL StE -.-
Ten Where Five Now Sit.
The benches will be slightly curv-
ed and they will run from aisle to
aisle. Ten members will occupy the
space which FIVE members now take
up. In front of each man there will
be an upright post With folding leaf
at it's top about the size OF one Of the
side pull out shelves" at the right
and left Of a roller top desk. Under.
meath this table will be shelf big
enough 10 hold a Congressional Direc-
tory and a few books OF reference.
With these the members must get
along.
Prior TO the erection OF the house
office building only the chairmen Of
the committees were given Office
rooms by the government. The other
members did large part of their
work at home and such of the rest of
1t as they could at their desks in the
house. With the completion OF the
office building, in which every member
of congress has a private room, the
old-time use Of the desk in the rep
resentative chamber has been given
over. So 1t is that there really is no
necessity for maintaining the old
cumbersome furniture conditions"
Not Easy TO Move Around.
One Of the troubles whichthe speak.
er of the house today has TO contend
with is the habit which members have
OF leaving their seats during debate
and and other proceedings TO visit
other members. 1t is easy now to get
to an aisle from any seat in the house
When the benches are put in the
process Of pilgrimage with be dificillt
for a man who sits midway between
the aisles must disturb all his neigh.
bors on one side or the other before
he can make his get away" Speaker
Clark. IL is said. believes the house
will be more OF truly deiiDerative
body under the new conditions than
eter II has been before.
Elliott Woods, the superintendent OF
the capitol. will come close to smash.
ing records II he completes the
changes necessary IN the house OF
representatives before the extra SEES
sion copyepes. Night and day the la
Dor win 60 on, and be promises that
things will be in order at the first
stroke OF the gaSel, II IL should hap
rem TO be heard on the first Monday
in April.
In the next house the Democrats
will sit on the right of the speaker,
the Republicans on the left. while the
Progressives will be sforced to take
such seats a. the majority may elect.
II viii make little difference however,
pnder the new seating arrangement
" here man sits. for'he can command
the Speakers eye ana the members
attention from any point. The house
is 10 be brought within ITSELF much
more thar has been possible in the
past
There will be so many Democrats
In the next congress that the house
members OF that party may be forced
to encroach on the Republican side.
This has happened two or three times
In the senate with the parties re-
veHsed The next house will stand.
Democrats 2si. Republicans tss, Pro
gressives ~ In the house member.
ship there will be 1860 men who never
sat in congress before.