Evening journal., 1916-07-13
rth, and the minority report con-

Hessiuh dsttu ioi a. period OF months,
and barring the so roll calls, which
were necessary on matters of legisla-
tion there is an average of three points
of no quorum per month, which is GER
tainly no great evidence that any time
was wasted in flibustering methods
which this device is designed in part 70
prevent
'In the second session Of the Sixty
second Congress, lasting over a period
OF nine months, there was a total of
ISL roll calls, of which AZ were brought
about on a point of no quorum and lS9
on matters of legislation, showing an
average of a little over IL calls OF
the House per month on points Of no
quorum in the second session.
I'm the third session of the Sixty-sec-
ond Congress, otherwise known as the
short session, there was total Of ia
roll calls. of which 46 were on points
Of no quorum and 90 on matters of leg
islation. With respect to this short
session and all other short sessions of
Congress in considering the merits Of
this proposition it should be borne in
mind that the short sessions Of Con-
gress expire on March 4 by limitation
of law, and no amount Of speeding up
would cause Congress to adjourn any
earlier.
a further study of the above tables,
( in connection with the claims Of the
! friends Of the voting device, and grant
! ing all their claims, shows that there
! might have been a saving of perhaps
! two-thirds of the time in taking the
record votes, which would amount 10
! about 30 DAYS in the three sessions. or
a saving Of 10 days in each session.
! But it is fair TO say that this saving
would more than be overcome by the
I increased number Of roll calls which it
D., is claimed would result from the in
! stallation of such a device.
eve admit that the installation OF
I this device will tend as some of its
friends claim, to entirely change the
Y character Of the House. We do not be-
lieve. however, that the majority Of
the House is willing that a device snould
be adopted which would so change its
character or which would tend to com.
pei the continuous attendance Of the
!, membership Of the House We do not
believe that such a result is possible OF
, desirable.
Members naturally dislike to be
j, marked absent when a record vote il
! taken. Unscrupulous or unthinking per
!, sons are likely to point 10 a members
record as shown by the roll call as an
. evidence that the member is not at.
/, tending 10 his business. The necessary
office work and the study and research
Nfn1 - ,f.N
members to spend much time in the
offices. or off the floor, either on com
! mittee or departmental business. Soms
= Of the most representative members oi
, the House hahituallv spend their tint
= in their Offices while bills are being de
4 bated in which they have no particular
- interest, or with reference 10 whicl
a they have deliberately formed fxe'
, opinions II is fair to say that unde
= present conditions the average member
\ If he should spend all Of his time in IN
4 House during its sessions, could do lit
: tie more than attend to his correspond
n ence.
: "It Is generally admitted that IN
, most important work IN the House i
/, done in the committee rooms If th
: members are compelled to be CONSTANT,
q in the House in order 10 make appar
emily good records by improving thei
. batting averages the committee worl
a must seriously suffer and be much de
laved II is a well-known fact that i'm
portant and busy committees, such a
Z ways and means, military, and nava
> affairs. judiciary, appropriations AM
a agricultural are likely 10 be In practi
nj oallv' continuous session week afte
q week through the whole legislative days
To compel the attendance of member
"a on the floor Of the House will DELAY
j therefore. the reporting of bills. If IN
. members of these great committees ha
!. been constantly on the floor of IN
% House from the beginning Of the pres
% ent session, il is fair TO say that the in
-. portant bills that have come from thes
!. committees might not yet have been r'
% ported to the House
.ei "rhere is no mechanical or electricf
device in the United States for record
! ing legislative votes except one mo-
being installed in the State Of Wiscor
10 sin. The friends Of this device haS
IN been unable to find any other in N
Ii world. The device now being nstalle
. in Wisconsin is the one which it is pr'
T. posed to install here It is to cost n
70 state of Wisconsin Sl0G per unit. II
. legislature there numbers 100 men
. bers. and the device is to COS
: therefore. $4,000 The same device il
te stalled here apparently should cost fol
~ and seven twentieth times that sur
isa but il is proposed that the device he
n. shall COST 1925, 600.
a. rrhe warnings Of the speaker open
ho aiven to the members Of the House
az the time the roll is being called durir
II the present session would indicate thi
ra even under the present system the
of may be at least some question concer
,s ing the absolute integrity and securit
NJ Of the voting, or at least that there a
some misgivipgs concerning the appea
% nnces Of such integrity and securit
no Under the proposed system there w
ne be no such appearance Of security al
a the correctness Of the vote viii only
No safeguarled by the possession of {
u kev in the hands Of the proper party
he "Thc undersigned have perfect con
no denee that the individual integrity
- the House will always he such that the
~ need be no fear IN this score. hut
do think that il is important not on
~ that the vote be accurately recorded b
ia that the appearance Of security be pl
,es served We think such an appearar
ar. Of security would be lacking in the pi
~. posed system.
60 'Nve are. therefore opposed TO Il
;h resolution. because II will not tend
m. shorten the session Of Congress. and