Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-05-02
WOMEN ARE told
OF Law MAKING
Former Congressman Gives
Interesting Talk to the
Women Voters.

Former Congressman Burton La
French of MOSCOW addressed the mem
bers of the Boise Chapter, National
Council of Women Voters, last night
at the city hall, where he spoke I'd
Boise audience for the first time in sev-
eral years.
The council chamber was decorated
with flags and spring flowers and Miss
Tyer, president Of the council, presld-
ed at the meeting.
Mr.. French spoke on the Method OF
Making Laws in Congress" beginning
by outlining the organization Of the
house of representatives and the cleo
ton of speaker. He outlined the work
OF the parliamentary secretary who Is
always at the right hand of the speaker
and whose duty 1t Is to be ready to
give him any advice on the intricate
points of parliamentary law, as the
speaker is so interested in following
| the heated discussions to be able to
| follow the more intricate points of par
| liamentary law.
He discussed at length the selection
| of committees and subcommittee,
outlining the workings of these COM
mittees and how the bills must be
| looked over by the committee, or sub
committee when the work is heavy and
there is a large number Of bills to be
decided upon. before they can be pre-
scented to the house for consideration.
| Work Done by Committees.
He said there were often complaints
against congress not working nine
hours a day as in other office work
and against holding secret sessions.
There are SO many bills to be consid-
cred that it would be impossible for
any one body to go through them all,
so this work must be done by com
mittees and 1t is necessary to adjourn
| for hours and days at a time in order
to give the committees an opportunity
to do their work and that congress Is
usually working the hardest when in
committee work instead of in session.
In speaking of the secret sessions
Mr.. French said he thought for GER
tain classes OF legislation, such as
treaties of national or international i'm
/ portance, ETC.. where great care and d.
plomacy must beg used, it was wise to
act quietly and cautiously and they
could not do this work in open session.
He spoke of the old rules which
used to give the speaker all power as
to the recognition of a member and
which now provides for the Unanimous
consent" rule ut is hard to tell
which is the most to be feared. the ar
bitrary power of one man or the DIG
torial power of. 500 or 400 members
of congress.
Individual Work Important.
SIT is the individual work of these
members in the interest of theil
measures that is the most important
Especially when there is legislation te
be passed which lis of interest only tc
certain sections of the country"
Speaking of the fairness of thu
speaker OF the house, Mr.. French said
Never in the 10 years I was in con
gress was the speakers decision at any
time questioned"
At the business meeting which pre-.
ceded Mr.. French's address the com.
mittee on playground supervision re.
ported that the matter would b,
brought before the council this after.
noon, when an appropriation to hell
carry on the work would be asked for
The council also voted to assist tn,
National Suffrage association by OBJ
tanning letters approving suffrage. from
officials and former residents OF Iowa
to be used by the Iowa headquarters
in the present suffrage campaign u
that state.
At the close of the meeting MIR
French, who first introduced the Saw
tooth national park bill, told the wonl
en- of his work for the bill and dis
cussed some of the features of TIL,
bill with them upon which they wet,
, seeking information
| -
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