The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-18
Johnson HEADS
DISTRICT BODY
Kentucky Representative to
Be Chairman Of House
Committee.
PROTEST IS FRUITLESS
E.,y .e M.rh.ve Duying ssf Con oress
PROTEST IS FRUITLESS
Few Of Members During Last Congress
will Again Be on the
Board.

That Representative Ben johnson will
retain the Craftsmanship of the House
District Committee of the Sixty-third
Congress was announced by Represent
alive Oscar Underwood, chairman of the
Committee on Committees, yesterday. Mr..
johnson will be reelected despite the
protest lodged with the committee by
Representative Wyatt Aiken of South
Carolina, who stepped aside for Mr..
johnson when the latter wished to head
the District Committee at the organiza-
ton of the House for the last Congress.
Though denying that there was an
agreement when he stepped aside for
Mr.. Johnson that the latter would re-
linquish the Craftsmanship when the COM
nittee was organized for the Sixty-third
Congress, Representative Wyatt Aiken
yesterday declared that. of his own ac-
cord, he had stepped aside for Mr.. John
son in the belief that thereby he would
aid Johnson's political fortunes in Ken
lucky where, he understood, the latter
expected to be a candidate for guberna-
torial honors.
No Agreement Made.
The papers have fallen into an error
il, writing about the craftsmanship of the
House Committee on the District of Co.
lumbie,' said Representative Aiken yes
terday.
I'm the first place there was never any
agreement between Mr. Johnson of Ken
lucky and myself to the effect that IL
would give way for him to have the
craftsmanship in the Sixty-second Con-
gress that he would give way for me in
the SiXty-third Congress The fact is
that l was the ranking Democratic mem
Der of the committee, and would have
been made chairman II I had said that
! would take it | knew Mr.. johnson
was a candidate for Governor of Ken
lucky. and believed that he felt that IL
he could be made chairman of the Dis
triCt Committee it would help him in
that race. | went to him. of my own
accord. and offered to not only stand
aside for him. but to ask that he be made
chairman. and did so. He seemed very
appreciative at the time, and ! was glad
to help advance his political fortunes.
Recently | concluded that / would like
to have the craftsmanship. and thought
that Mr.. johnson might be as generous
to me as | had been to him, and | wrote
him a note saying that | wanted the
place. He replied, saying that he would
have been elected chairman of the COM
mlttee in the SiXty-Second Congress. even
if / had not stood aside for him. and l
then secured a statement signed by
every member of the Ways and Means
committee. saying thdt would nave
been made chairman Of the District Com
mittee if 1 had not insisted on relin-
gushing it.
Il have asked to be made chairman of
the committee in the .SiXty-thrd Con-
gre because | want il, and because !
feel that / am entitled to ii by reaso
of seniority and otherwise. ] cannot say
much as to my fitness for the position,
for il does seem to me that a man big
enough for such place could not pos
sibly think himself fit for it. But / can
say that | know as much about Wash
ington and Washington affairs as any
member Of congress, and l do not mind
saying that | have ueen led to ask for
for the craftsmanship largely because of
the dissatisfaction over the handling of
District matters, not only among the peo-
pie of the District but among members
Of Congress as well. 1t is known TO
everybody that this dissatisfaction has
increased, rather than diminished. dur
ing the past two years
IF Senator James had been familiar
with tn" facts in the case he could not.
have made the statement. attributed to
him in an interview in a paper yester-
day. that ii was understood among the
members of the Ways and Means Com
mittee that / was not familiar with the
work and did not feel competent to serve
| hope Senator James is better posted
on other public matters than he seems
to be on this.