Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-11-13
SEN. SHEPPARD HAS MANY IRONS
IN THE CONGRESSIONAL FIRE

b.. Committee on Commerce-\eXt |
endeavored 10 obtain q place on the com
mitice Of commerce., the rivers and harbor~
committee of the senate. Texas having har-
hars capable of being made among the best
III the world. the development Of these and
Of lnIal.d waterways being essential To the
proper growth OF the state. and one of our
~%evercst handicaps being the lack Of ade-
quate waterway facilities. was assigned
to fifth place ~ this committee out Of a
majority membership of ten.
e.. Committee on Irrieation-Ncxt | re-
queSted a place on the irrigation commit +
tee. realizing that large sections of Texas
and underground. and that one of these
sections was already connected with the
great government dam IN Ne- Mexico. |
was gwen fifth place on this committee ont
Of a majority membership Of eight.
d.-Committec on Military Affairs
made an especial effort 10 secure an az
~ignment 10 the military affair committee
IecauSe several important army posts are
~ y ~ fif ~ nv - Nv y
est ~ the nation. did not obtain this as
sienment till late in the session and had to
be content with the lowest majority place.
q. Committees on census. coast de-
fences. transportation routes. and expen-
ditnrc IN department at agriculture.
Without any request on my part ! was
appointed on the census committee. n com-
mittee 81 Importance. being given third
place ont of a majority membership of
seven. was also given places on the com
mittceS on coast defen~es and tranSpor-
tation routes to the ~eaboard. and was
made chairman Ut the committee on eX-
.pendIture~ N the departmental agriculture.
OF course you will understand the i'm
nortance 81 GOOD committee assignments
IA the senate and house. The immense and
growing field Of national legislation makes
it impossible to settle most questions on the
floor and they are 10 a very great extent
determined primarily BY committees.
,. Other CommitteeS-ln addition 10
these standing committees | have served
on important subcommittee and one ~pe-
cial committee. was placed Al the head
If the subcommittee Of the com
mttee having charge Of all legislation re-
lating t. bridges over n%avigable streams
was chairman of u special ~uhcommlt-
tee Of the committee 10 which
WAS referred two bills relating to employ
ment and relicen~ine of officers on Ameri-
can merchant ships.
wa a member of . special -%uhcommii
tee Of the committee on agriculture which
Investigated the recent outbreak Of foot
and mouth disease among live stock.
was made chairman of a special ~enate
committee which investigated the conduct
lnmbia.
3. Cotton When the European con
-flict suddenly broke out and cotton prices
went IL pieces | did everything within my
power To- obtain rellci from the Government
~ an emergency - calamitou~. - clearly
the result Of war conditions. 20 national III
some Of it, aspects. urged rcllel meas
ure~ before the committee on banking and
III 80 III ii" tiAA VII ~ AARfA ~ Nv Ia
! voted for the government purchase prop
%o~ition and gave my best effort 10 the cot
ton ROVER cause. MOI only during that
crisis but throughout my service | nave de
voted my hest energies 10 strengthening
the status of cotton. that mighty fiber
gold. have urged our government nj
every opportunity 10 take the most va.
nrui~ methods possible tu preserve our
cotton and other exports the freedom of
the seas. When congress closed the fol
lowing bill~ which had introduced ON the
subject Of cotton were pending: GAP bill to
create cotton loan associations: tb) bill
providing for advance &c funds ~ the gov
ernmcnt on cotton: tci hill IA enable pos
tai savings banks ~ lend money On cotton.
tdl hill FOR the preservation Of export
trade IN cotton. te) hill to increase and
popularize the use Of cotton materials III
the United States.
T.. More Economical Methods ~ Cot
ton Ginning-The substance Of my bill for
IN investigation of a more economical pro-
cess of cotton ginning was embodied IN the
general agricultural appropriation bill, a.
well a. the substance Of my bill for a spe-
cial study Of disease among sheep and
goats.
;. Wider Use Of Cotton Materials-Tn
order 10 help the campaign for a wider
use Of cotton materials in the United
States ! addressed a letter to the president
urging that he direct the departments io
order all their supplies in cotton wrapping
and To call for articles of cotton wherever
possible. He replied that he would ash
that this be lone and that the departments
woulI pnmnlv IA tina yraata-f nra.tt.abla