The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-05-05
REORGANIZATION OF
SENATE COMMITTEES
MET WITH APPROVAL
By DAVID LAWRENCE,
tcopyTigit By The Intelltg eucsr.)

WASHINGTON, y. G.. May i.--Rcor--
eanizaton OF the committee system ot
the United States senate advocated tor
years and discussed again and again
without result, is at last 10 be accomp-
lished. Instead OF seventy seven COM
m!ttees with innamerable suh-commit-
tees taking up the timo OF members so
that frequently IL Is impossible to get
a committee quorum. there will not be
more than thirty committees. Every
senator will be member Of one or the
seventeen .or eighteen major committees
and memncr Of at least two or tne
twelve o. thirteen minor committees. II
may prove to be the first step toward =
Reorganization OF the ten government
departments. go
the approval Of Republicans and Dem
ocrats and a subcommittee OF the Sem
ate Committee on rules has just been
authorized to submit a comprehensive
plan to tho full committee on rules and
the prospects are that the scheme Wall
20 through this session.
Democrats told their Republican col
leagues At last nights meeting that
they planned the identical method OF
Reorganization when they came into
power eight years ago but that all
sorts OF obstacles came up TO prevent
action.
Yathsrsd By Mccormick
Senator Msdnl Mccormick Of Illinois.
is the father Of the plan. Incidentally
ne has pushed the budget bill through
the Senate. His hobby is efficiency in
have from time to time given their sup
port to various plans for the rearrange-
ment OF government service. the lil-
nois senator has gotten behind the ldea
and is csntering his whole legislative
career on efficiency.
The idea OF concentrating committee
work IN the Senate in few committees
is not new. but no party has hitherto
been abls TO shut off the little patron
ago privileges and politica! camoutiaSe
committees The burdens brought on
by the war, however, and congested
calendar. have made the members OF
the Senate more than ever determined
TO cut out insignificant and unimport-
ant committees. For instance there was
2 time when = commit tee on Indian dep
relations might have been necessary.
hut not any more. Then egaln tne
same kind OF subjects and can easily be
combined. \ committee on the Missis-
sippi river and it's tributaries can De
combined with committee on inter
oceanic canals" a committee TO "inVes-
tirate trespasssrs upon Indian lands"
can be absorbed by 3 committee on
Indian affairs"
Means BsSxer work
glance at the congressional direc-
tory reveals how easily the eondensa-
plished. II VIII mean MAT more work
will be done in committees and that
more attention viii be given 70 what u
done. As II is. members OF the senate
ind themselves on four or five commit
tees all meeting on the same day Inc
result is patchwork legislation when
take. up more time on the floor OF the
Senate when amendments too often De
come necessary.
There ia a chance. however. that the
reduction OF the number OF committees
will vitality affect the seniority system,
which has been the n Rsne pnpTSHeans 9s TotIetSat
and Democrats know the evils OF the
seniority process which often puts al
the head OF committee a man leasI
qualified to preside. Length OF serVlee
bears no espef;,sdT, ;nd,ridnaI rsrai'0ns to Manage
committee and when the organization ~
put into effect II will become NECESSARY
for whichever party Is IN power y.
choose carefully their chairmen. WIN
portant committees and these conmlt
tees absorbing the work or several
minor committees il Will be oouoIy nee
cssary for the dominant party 70 eH =.
elsa caution and care In electing the'r
leaders.
As suggested above. the movement
for reorganization in goXernmens Is
Iikaly to he broadened. Already Sena-
tor Srnoot has introduced a bill ,provid-
inr for a joint committee OF the Two
HOUSES or Congress to draw UP plan
whereby the bureaus in the ten execu-
tive departments Of the government can
the interest OF economy and EFFICIENCY.
The bill will probably pass both houses
without much opposition. Usually these
efforts at efficiency come with every
change in political control ana .neS
rarely accomplish very much because
other issues and subjects are considered
more important. This year. however.
one Of the things on which the Repuon-
can party will base its plea FOR nation
wjde -upport will be government effici-
ency. Senate REORGANIZATION. a budget
Systsm condensation OF government
bureaus and reduction OF expenditures
ali relate to tas common theme OF try
ing AT least to convince the American
people that they are getting their
moneys worth out OF the large Sims
they arc paying in taxes.