The Washington times., 1918-02-26
HOUSE INDICTED
ASUSELESSBODY
BY CONG. FULLER

CONTINUED from First Page.)
about half the committees Of the
Houreb. and, so far as 1 can judge
from inquiry and investigation, will
have no public business to Justify
its existence, and, that being the
case, 1 do not wish by accepting the
honor of membership in it to appear
to give even my tacit consent 10 the
existence of a committee which has
no real, justifiable reason for exist
ing other than to entail needless
and unjustIfiable expense upon the
people who pay the bills.
"As you know, there are sixty
standing committees in the House
organization, and more than half or
them are as useless and unnecessary
as the committee from which l am
resiEninE. At a time like this, when
we are passing through a grave ma
tional crisis, the House should take
account OF matters of efficiency ana
economy within its own confines
with a view to increasing efficiency
and reducing expense.
Efficiency ImpOsHIbIe.
81 am a business man and accus-
TONED to looking at these things
from a common sense standpoint.
was somewhat fearful about my
qualifications for undertaking the
duties of a Congressman because or
a lack Of political experience. l find
that the duties 1 have fallen heir to
as a Congressman are OF an entirely
different nature than those an
ticipated. When / meet any OF my
constituents they usually greet me
with the expression, My! But you
must be busy down In Washington.
Now, would like to be really ousy'
and l am mighty sure II the proper
spirit animated our present congress
that these needless committees could
be changed into real agencies Tor the
service of the Government
why could not some Of these need
less committees that never meet ana
that are occupying valuable room and
employing secretaries and messengers
that have no work to do, be utilized
for various useful purposes, such as
inspecting camps, soliciting labor FOR
shipyards. doing any one OF the hun
dred and one things that the Govern
ment is in need OF today? Instead OF
this, you and l know that two-thirds
OF our COLnIlAlN6ES aAO NoN-Noo $500
instead of being really busy, the ma
jority of our Congressman down here
are telling stories and practicing up
to see who can spit the farthest
Creation Of Politics.
quite aside from all other aspects,
there IS a dominating element OF 20
lIticaI deception in the existing House
system. The people have been taught
to believe that a members stand
ing should be judged by his commit
tee appointments. According to that
standard, my constituents, having no
means OF knowing the truth, might
conclude that my membership on the
committee in question carries with II
some Implication OF opportunity to
advance public interests. As a matter
OF fact, 1t means nothing at all, ex-
cepting that such committees serve
to carry out that kind OF pretense.
THE public should know that Con
Eress Is overorganiZed with standing
committees that do no work, where
as the basis should be efficiency, with
tho people getting full value fog
every bit OF legislative machinery
that exists. As It IL now, these dead
committees are nothing more than
their chairman, who control whatever
clerical ana ONCE peTQiSlltS hltaCh l"
each OF them. Certainly this Is no
time for such a condition to exist and
continue.
Congress n BaEnacle.
"In this connection 1t is pertinent
to suggest that the present parlia-
mentary system of the House Oper-
ates to make the average member
little more than a figurehead. There
should be such q reconstruction OF
the system as to give each member
Legitimate chance to represent. his
constituents and the larger public In
tSFssts of the whole country.