Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-31
BALDWIN TALKS
SESSION PLANS
Speaker Says That Distant
Members Will Have a Chance
to Get to Their Homes


Members of the House of Represen-
tatives who have either gone or about
to go to their homes for the weekend
and with them are carrying two
thoughts impaired by Speaker Rich
ard j. Baldwin, both of which are
likely to be adopted next week and are
considered forward steps in legislative
procedure. In one he asked the men,
bers to consider the advisability of en-
forcing House Rule No. 80, which de-
fines those who may walk upon the
floor of the House of Representatives
while 1t is in session and the other
has to do with sessions lasting five
days a week Tor two weeks to be fol-
lowed by nine-day recess.
The lobbyists will feel the force of
the rule which was one of the hob
bies of Speaker George T.. Alter in the
1913 session. 1t has long been on the
House list of 'don'ts," but has seldom
been enforced. 1t definitely limits the
privilege of the floor of the House to
members, accredited newspaper corr
respondents, former members of the
House when first presented by a sit
ting member and heads of the various
State departments. 1t is from the
standpoint OF the interference with the
business of the House and the incon-
Venience to the members that the
lobby may be banished to the outer
walls and not so much from the al
legged harm, that lobbyists are sup
posed to do.
The recess proposition was men
toned in the Telegraph a few days
ago. 1t has been a matter to which
the Speaker has been giving consid-
cradle attention.
In few words late yesterday after
noon Speaker Baldwin outlined his
views on the recess question in this
way: AT the present time we are
meeting one and one-half days week.
That makes ii impossible for the
members from the rural sections who
must travel a long distance to get
home for any number of days. The
expense feature is also important.
What / would ask the House to do is
to consider the proposition of meeting
four or five days a week for two weeks
in the early months of the session and
then recessing for nine days or until
the following Monday a week. This
Will not delay legislation-on the con-
trary it will expedite the bills. When
we would leave Harrisburg for the
recess everything would be cleaned up
and we would be at home waiting for
the griSt of bills to come from the
Senate. In addition, the far-traveling
country member could get home for a
considerable stay and would feel that
his incidental expense was well spent.
home at any time, but the farmer
boys must stay over here indefinitely.
This could not be done in the later
weeks of the session but in the next
two months it might be found both an
efficient and convenient thing to do
In his remarks ~on the question of
enforcing Rule SO the Speaker asked
that the members be ready to decide
their attitude on it next week when
they return, and if they are agreeable
to it he would be pleased to carry
out their thoughts. He said when
asked about the rule that it was not
aimed at lobbyists entirely and did
not want the term lobbyist to be
misunderstood because he said there
We're many measures in which thou
sands in the State are interested that
are lobbied for by reputable persons.
What he does want to prevent is the
indiscriminate use of the aisles of the
House by persons and all lobbyists
while the House is in session.
tit is disconcerting to the members
to have their constituents constantly
running to their seats to speak to
them about legislation and often times
matters that have no connection with
the Legislature" said he. There
should be seats reserved in the beauti-
full House gallery for the families of
members and other seats for their
friends. I would favor taking the
chairs out of the side aisles and give
the members some privacy where they
would be free from interruption. This
Is an important matter as it will save
time to the members and expenses to
the State"