The chronicle=news., 1913-06-20
PR0GRESS|vES
URGE REAL.
PUBLICITY

From the Progressive News Service
Washington. June 2O.-The Pro
grcssives In the House Of Represen.
tativex have promptly seized the 0p.
pOrtunity offered BY President vii.
sons insistence upon the enactment
Of currency bill At this session .tc
emphasize the fight they are max
ing for genuine publicity In tine pub
lie business. Al the first meeting
OF the House COMMITTEES on Banking
and Currency. Mr.. Lindbersh. ol
Minnesota. the only Progressive on
the committee. submitted u motion
that all meetings OF the committee
thereafter. should he open TO the
public. This inciuded the pubiics-
tion Of the record Of all votes In the
committee. This committee II COM
posed Of fourteen Democrats. six Re.
publicans an one Progressive. Mr..
Nceley. OF Kansas. q Democrat.
promptly moved to lay Mr.. Lind
bcrKh'E motion On the table. There
has been No much agitation ON the
question Of publicity. however. and
the Democrats are No thoroughly
their declarations to the principle.
although In practice they have stead
ily disrcEnricd u. thai the majority
m. mbcss of the committee were not
ready to take the drastic action pro-
posed by Mr.. N~~'cy. They sought
to rcs around Il by appointing =
subcommittee composed of Mr..
niukicy. of Ohio. Mr.. Winso. ot Ar
kansas. Mr.. s~i.iomrid&~. of Colo
RADIO. Democrats: aud Mr.. piati. Of
New York. and Mr.. Smith. Of Minuc-
tota. Republicans. To hold hearings
ON Mr.. l.in,ibcrxh's motion and rec
onmrnd u course Of action To the
fuii committee.
The subcommittee met on June
10Th. with four at Its members pr~s.
cnt. Mr.. scidomridsr heinz In Pau-
nma. Mr.. Lindb~sxh spoke Tor tn
better part ot IN hour In behalf Of
his proposition. Hc urged tho adop-
iion Of his mostoa on the broad
ground ot the right Of the people
to know what their Representatives
In Congress are doing II all ssaxrs
OF Congressional work.
Il is. Of roarsc. weir known to
i'crsons familiar With the work Of
Congress that = very isss~ aad I'm.
i,orsanl psrt Of Il b oesp,ish~d II
committees sst. ussssr the s'suesd-
uSr that has always obssIacd & -.
rrrs committee mr~sisxs. Il Aao leeu
Is,ssihlc to accomplish . great many
undesirable thinxS In ycara zone by
which would never have b~-n I'os-
sibir u committee mrrtiak~ ~cr~|
open aud II the public were able Al
all times To know what went on In
committee mcrtinEs.
Tho fight the Proxrc.sivcs ar
making for open committee mrrtinRa
is th" first eonsisicnt and sustained
sffors ihst has ,,-en made slonx this
line. Il aims to accomplish prohab.
" tho krratcsi single reform In Goa
srsseionsi procedure that could bc
accom- plishcd. the reform which will
he of the srrairss benefit to the
Ing honest. faithful and disinteresi.
cd consideration Of public measures.
After having SPOKEN soase time.
Mr.. l.indbcrRh was subjceScd TO o.
cro>a.cxsmiaaSson hon BY
the Democratic members OF the sub.
committee and some Of the other
Democratic memi'crs of the ful, com.
miitcc who were present. Mr. Nor.
bly. of indiana. who i. the ranking
Democrat on the committee. spoke
for some time In opposition to the
motion. iic had . difficult task ia
view of the general Democratic pro.
nounccmcnt In favor Of publicity aud
especially In view Of the rcpactcd
declarations Of tho President and Of
the cabinet that the policy Of the
ninistration was "pitilcrs publis-
ity" ~ to all governmental affairs.
Mr.. korblcy argued si some length
that the physical difficulty in the
way of open meetings Of the Bank
Ing and Currcncy COMMITTEES tn the
public was such as to preclude the
possibility. lie conicnded that the
meetings would he cverrun with al'
kinds Of people with all kinds Of
ideas on currency and that the COM
miitCss would never he able to &C.
complish any work. Although Mr..
korbly did not ray 70. this comes In
fact ve:y close to the heart Of the
matter from the Democratic point
Of view. They know that among
themselves there arc great many
different ideas "a to what ought to
he done. The President has rccoe-
niscd that fact and II himself d.
recting the preparation Of the cur
rcncy hill which In due time will
he brought 10 light in the House Of
Representatives a. the admlnistfA-
ton measure and which the admin
istratiOn will endeaSor to force
through IA Il Ia now forcing through