The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-02-21
May GIVE POWER
BACK TO SPEAKER
New Method Of Control Of
House DiSIiked.
THIRTEEN NOW RESPONSIBLE

uUIJuIk nun lllOl OUOIOL6
Chairman Of the Ways and Means
Committee Has Function Of Appoint
ina Committees, and He Puts Matter
Up to Other Members Of That Body.
Seniority Rule Is Big Element.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington. Feb. 21.- Especial -
Will the Democrats retrace their steps
n the matter Of control and organiZa-
ton Of the house Of representatives to
the extent Of giving the speaker power
to name the committees? The two
years of experiment under the other
plan have proved unsatisfactory in some
respects.
It has transferred the power from
the speaker to the chairman of the
committee on ways and means. and he
has distributed the responsibility among
thirteen other members of the commit
tee. The chairman has the actual pow
er. though the responsibility Is very
much divided.
Chairmen Of committees. more partfc-
ularly the head Of the ways and means
committee. are very much engaged in
congressional work and cannot be on
hand to watch over and direct the
house as does the speaker when he has
full control Then. in the matter of
committee selection seniority prevails.
A good speaker will overturn the SEN
iority rule and name the best men for
chairmen.
Tho Real Reform.
What the members of the house were
cropping for when they overturned Can
non and tried to reform the rules was
to get power into their own hands.
They were tired of having bills which
a majority wanted considered smoth,
cred in committee. They were tired of
having to go to the speaker for every
thing they wanted. But they have
made little progress.
Bills are still held in committee. and
consideration of many bills are pre-
vented by parliamentary tactics. What
6uOuIu u1Se UCcu uOuG WSlS " SiIuIiy
provide that when a majority signed
q petition asking for the consideration
Of any bill the house should at once
take 1t up and dispose of it. That
would have answered the most insistent
demand.
The Mounting Millions.
It now looks as If the appropriations
for the present session or for the next
year If some Of the appropriations go
over to the extra session. will be many
more millions greater than ever be-
fore. ''This congress will provide for
the expenditure of the $1O0.OO0O0G
which is expected to be derived from
the income tax" said Chairman Fitz-
gerald who was lecturing the house
upon the mounting millions in the ap
preparation bills and other expendi
lures
Il want to say" he added. "that I'M
less the Democratic side Of the house
wakes up to a sense of its responsible
fly the appropriations fll not only be
grossly extravagant. but they will
amount to so much that talk Of re
vision of the tariff downward will be
almost a hollow mockery."
Truce For Spells.
For time there waged hot fight
between the conservative and progress
sive factions Of the Democratic party
in the senate over the control of the
senate in the next congress. Then il
stopped. I'VE have become united"
remarked Hoke Smith. the leader of
the progressives. Tin preventing the
confirmation Of the appointments which
have been sent to the senate by Pres
ident Taft" 1t is probable that the
Democrats will be able to prevent all
combinations at this session.
Law and Enforcement.
Former Speaker Cannon opposed the
Kenyon-Webb anti-liquor bill and as
serted that If public sentiment in pro-
hibition communities wanted to pre-
vent liquor selling it would stop. Lack
Of enforcement. he declared. was the
sole cause for the proposed legislation.
The prohibition states were trying to
get the general government to enforce
their prohibition laws.
He went back to the days when he
was prosecuting attorney and said
many people shouted for prohibition.
but when it came to getting them to
testify or to serve on juries they balk-
ed. II have seen men of good stand
Ing commit perjury touching the sup
preston of the liquor traffic." he de
:lared.
knute's knowledge.
Senators soon learn if they are new.
and the older senators have long been
Into anything he knows what he is
talking about. 1t matters not what
may be the subject. If the Minnesota
senator undertakes to say anything on
the subject it may be taken for grant
ed that he has learned everything pos
sibie there was to learn ON the sub
ject.
And there is another thing about
this keen old Norseman-he is not
afraid of anything. never afraid of his
record or fearful Of casting vote.
Another fact not generally known out
side of communities where Norweg-
fans live is that the first name of the
senator is not pronounced Mute" but
that the TX" is sounded. just as If
spelled "Canute" or "Kanute."
Clergy to See Prize Fight.
st. Joseph, Mo-, Feb. 21.-A com.