Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-04-16
W, B, Walton Appointed to.
-Four Committees Public
Lands, Indian Affairs and.
War Claims Are Important,
CLOSE RACE IN STATE
LEADS TO THE FAV0RS
New Senator to Become Most
Popular GentIemanin WASH
ington With Workers for the
Anthony Amendment.
ESPECIAL coRRssposDsncs ro MORNING JOURNAL

| ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE 70 MORNING JOURNAL
Washington, April 15.--In the fur
ry and excitement of war debates, and
with the mind of the entire country
taken up with the question of what
will be the next step of Uncle Sam in
the general movement to crush Prus-
| sian militarism, little attention has been
given to the less spectacular but
| equally important matter of commit
| tee assignments for the various mem
bers of the present congress.
For there will be other things to at
tend to during the next two years Ne
sides waging war with Germany. The
wants of the people back home do
not wait on the negotiation of peace
terms. There are homestead entries,
pension claims, postoffiee appointments
faEd a tsGu5gaJ Gaid D1ie other mat
ters that do not keep congressman
in the public prints but have a large
influence in keeping him in congress.
| For that reason, committee assign
ments are matter of burning import
ance to the Congressman--especially
the new congressman-war or no war
| New Mexico Fares Well.
Thanks to the fact that the demo-
Gratis are in control OF both branches
Of congress, New Mexicans sent to
| Washington by the vote of their fell
| low citizens last November have Jared
well. Both in the house and senate
New Mexico is we'll provided for on
committees.
The most important of all commit
tees from a New Mexico standpoint
is the committee on public lands. The
Sunshine state is perhaps the most vi
tally affected of all the American
states by any public land legislation,
and the New Mexico congressman as
signed to that committee is better off
from a political standpoint than if he
were the chairman of the committee
on ways and means.
By making the public lands com
mittee in the house, Congressman
Walton achieved distinct victory, for
! in the makeup of the new committees
there was only one vacancy on the
democratic side of that committee,
with many applicants to fill 1t. The
appointment of Mr.. Walton was a rec
| ognition not only of his ability but
also the growing Importance of New
Mexico politically The close race "out
| yonder" last November did not escape
the attention OF the democratic lead
ers. 1t is recognized that New Mexi-
co is a debatable state with demo-
cratic tendencies. and letters of the
party believed that Mr.. Walton's APP
pointment to the committee on public
lands would prove a substantial help
to the party in the next and succeed
ing campaigns.
Other Committees.
Next in importance from New
Mexico point of view to the commit
tee on public lands is the committee
on Indian affairs, to which Mr.
Walton also was appointed. War
claims, committee which from now
on is sure to be of more importance
than ever before, is another. The
committee on expenditures in the de-
partment of justice, an assignment
lacking in any spectacular features
but of great general importance
makes up the final one of Mr.. Wal
toms committee assignments.
Another feature of the appoint
ments of Mr.. Walton is that he was
named on four committees, something
quite unusual in the case of q new
congressman. Three is all that a new
member is supposed to be able to say
grace over; but the fact that the, New
Mexican had had wide legislative and
legal experience in his home state be-
fore coming to Washington and was
recognized as one of the lawyers OF
ability in the Sixty-fifth congress led to
the placing of an unusual burden or
his shoulders.
Jones and the Suffs.
In the senate also New Mexico
makes good showing in the matter
of committee assignments. Senator
Jones' thanks to his experience as
first assistant secretary of the interior
and his familiarity with all the work.
ings of Washington machinery, drew a
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