Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-06


more or less digniiied. at times orderly.
and always slow procedure of the
House OF Representatives of the United
States is about to be injected an Gle
mcnt OF modern mechanical efficiency
quite literally Il jump spark is to be
applied to the deliberations of the
lower House. It will be in the form
of AN electrical voting device, which
VIII be capable OF recording and adding
the vote of tho members present In
about thirty-four seconds.
The average time occupied in call
ing tho roll as done at present by the
House reading clerks il about forty
minutes, for the name OF every mem
bcr must he read twice. y Congress
man with a head for mathematics csti-
mated that hfty-six days were spent
calling the roll during the sessions OF
one Congress 1t seems quite within
the probabilities that this machine. If
installed and successful. will save the
House about one month out OF every
year. Senator Underwood believes that
IL would save $4,000 year in light.
heat and telegraph service.
AZ for the machine, IL il III: invcn-
tion Of y. l.. BrobotI. "a native of Russia.
citizen OF the United States and a
resident OF Milwaukee. Wis. II has al
ready been installed ana successfully
demonstrated in the hall OF the Wis
consin state Legislature at Madison,
Wis. and MIR. Broboff has also demon
stratcd II OF II small scale In Wash
inSton. Many members of Congress
have already expressed themselves as
favorable to it's installation. Repre-
sentative Howard, Of Georgia, has In
troduccd :; bill providing $4,000 for
the purpose; and Mr.. Brobon has APP
pcared before the Committee on Ac-
counts and made "A convincing state
mcnt about the working Of his ma
chine and the need for It. lie declares
that il will speedily save it's cost in
time. light and heat; that IL will last
4 couple Of centuries. literally never
get out Of order; and that one man
without any electrical training can
care for and operate it.
Success Depends on Members.
In tho last analysis, the success of
this machine in speeding up the House
will depend upon the members. 1t can
record and add n vote in thirty-fo four
seconds, but not unless the voters arc
there. of course. vote might be
taken with only one member present;
but the question which remains un-
settled Is whether this new method
will really facilitate tho gathering OF
quorumS.
Mr.. Howard. who introduced the bill.
and other members who want to sec
the machine installed, believe that IL
will do SO. y certain time will have
TO be set for tho taking Of the vote
say five minutcs--and all members who
have not pressed their buttons for yea
or nay and flashed a red light or
white one on the recording board will
then be considered absent. II Is the
hope and belief OF those who want the
system that its speedy operation will
compel members TO stay on the floor or
the House If they are interested in tho
bill, or II they want TO avoid making
n record for continual absence from roll
calls.
And that brings to the fore the big
Eest problem in the present day de-
alterations of the House. Gradually.
but very perceptibly it is changing
from dclberative body. where legis
lation is debated and formulated. to
an aggregation OF clerks and agents,
who appoint committees to draft laws.
and leaders to tell them how they shall
vote. and spend their own time attend
ing TO a multitude of details for various
individuals.
Formerly the House was Il great deal
smaller: there was no House Office
building: The members had their offices
scattered all over Washington. They
nearly all attended every session OF
Congress.
Now the Office building is right across
the street from the Capitol. During the
ordinary sessions OF the House. rev
Of the leaders. and some others. Will
he found upon the floor earnestly argu-
ing \ vote Is desired. Electrical bells
arc runE that rcsound through all the
corridors OF the House Office building.
The congressman whose names begin
with 4. Il and G. leap to their feet aud
depart for the hall OF legislation. The
KS and Us. however. begin debating
another letter; while the P's and Q's
and Ms merely glance at their watches.
IT will he at least half an hour before
their names arc reached on the second
roll call. They go right on studying
pension claims; dispatching< garden
seeds and year books OF the DEPARTMENT
OF Agriculturc: drafting laws to do
nate condemned cannon for the city
park in Podunk, or permitting John
Jones to build bridge across Frog
Creek I'm Summersnuash County, Mo-:
or appropriating sl5oO0o TO erect q
post Office at Watcrtank, New.
Little Time TO Nation. Affairs.
The congressman have TO do these
things i'll order to hold their jobs The
great majority Of them spend tho great
majority OF their time doing little
things for individuals and counties
and towns. They give a small frac-
ton OF their timo to national affairs.