The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-14
Hoped, However, That State Will Not Fare Badly in
 New Assignments
PLACES HELD BY
 PRESENT MEMBERS
The State Deserves Especially to Hold Place on Rivers and Harbors Regarded as Especially
 Important


 consideration of the personnel and po- lticai division of the Sixty-fourth Con gress, Alabama may not fare so badly in commmittee assignment, even If the state has lost the chairmanship of the ways and means, and possibly even membership in that body, by the promotion of Rep resentative Underwood to the Senate and the chairmanship of the Judiciary commit tee by the elevation of Judge Clayton to the federal bench.
 It is believed that Alabama will be given generous recognition in the house committee assignments. Outside of MT. Underwood and Judge Clayton it is not believed that Alabama has been recog nized in proportion to the prominence and influence of its delegation or in accord ance with the size of the state and it's loyalty to the democratic party. In se- lecting MT. Underwood for the chairman ship of the ways and means 1t was recog- nized that Alabama got a big slice, but at the same time Alabama was contributing tremendously to that communities and to the welfare of the nation. The Ala bama members are as rule not asser- tive or obtrusive by nature, and none of them have insisted on assignments of es-
 
 bitions.
 Present Division of Spells
 Twelve committee places for the 10 members from Alabama Is the present di- vision of the spells, two men having three committees apiece and the others being content with one each. And of these only two positions are chairmanships--Un wood on ways and means and Burnett on immigration. Like others, both these men worked their way up in the years from the bottom to the top of the ladder, and were not singled out for special prefer ment.
 First of tho group, Representative Aber- crombie, Is on accounts. education and coinage, weights and measures, the first two of which are committees of some im- portance and responsibility and the last of little account. On accounts he stands third in rank, on education he Is fourth and on coinage, weights and measures he is seventh. Nor does he stand much chance of moving higher, as those ahead of him all are coming back.
 Nor may Tom Heflin hope for promo tion in the committee on Agriculture, in which he ranks fourth. and in which he Is one of the most active and influential members. The three men ahead of hin, are coming back, and Lever undoubtedly will be continued as chairman of the con- mittee and Lee of Georgia and Sander | of Mississippi will continue to outrank | "Cotton Tom" Still, Heflin is regarded I as Levers first lieutenant. and the ques- l ton of precedence does not amount to | much in this case.
 Besides his chairmanship of immigration l and naturalization, Burnett holds places on alcoholic liquor traffic and public buildings and grounds, being third man on the former and ranking next to chair | man on the latter. Of recent years i'm migration has been one of tho most im- portant committees in the House, and | MT. Burnett's position as chairman is re- garded as one of the most responsible places of its kind. The other commit ! tees, however, are not of extreme mo- ment and presence thereon is not neces- | sarlly compliment to a members state. Prior to his transfer to the bench, Clayton was chairman of judiciary, this honor being reciprocal between the com- | mittee and the commonwealth of Ala bama. In the order of things, Webb of North Carolina got the chairmanshir I and Alabama lost this important post. Representative Dent Is ranking member of military affairs, whose chairman, Hay of Virginia, will retain that place. In view of the agitation over national de- lenses this committee will come to the forefront and the presence of an Alabama | man on the list certainly will not be to | it's detriment.
 On naval affairs however which also bids fair to be leading committee in the next House, Alabama is liable to lose | It's place through the retirement of Rep l resentative Hobson. The hero of the Mer- l rimac now stands third on this commit | tee, but whether a man from his own | state will succeed him is an open ques. | tion.
 BlackmOn's Place Ninth man on postoffices and postroads I Is the assignment of Representative Blackmon, despite the fact that he en. | joys the reputation of being one of the | most substantial and level-headed mer | in the House. His friends say he is en. | titled to better things. and he seems likely to get them. Admittedly one ol | the most active and best informed mer l on rivers and harbors is Representative Taylor, whom Alabama will also lost l in the next Congress, and consequently this place on rivers and harbors, unless | another Alabamian should be given the assignment.
 So barring the ways and means, and possibly rivers and harbors, Alabama ought to get better committee assign. ments in the future than in the past The veterans from the state are fitted for the most important committee work | and the debutants will soor get into their l inches, no matter how big the respective l committees.
 Although Alabama Is nightly interested | in affairs financial, especially in the time ! of the cotton crisis 1t has no one on banking and currency, and its voice may rsI tt, t6A ~F