The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-17


 tionaI capital at the present time is speculation as to when the long eX- pected revolt against the leadership of Representative Frank W. MondeIl of Wyoming, titular head of the Re- publican clans in the lower House, will take place. This revolt has been in an increasingly growing stage for months, but the recent arbitrary die tatton by the Republican steering | committee, of which MT. Mondell is the head, has brought matters near | CT head:
 Since the beginning or the Mondeu | regime-May 19, when the extra ses- sion of Congress opened-the House l had passed many little things but l none of the big reconstructive meas l ures that was promised the public. | Incipent revoltS were squelched be- l cause they were local and had no driving force behind them. Now, with appropraftions more than two bil- lions above the revenues for the fis- cal year ending June 30, MT. MondeIl and his steering committee asso- ciates realize the necessity for the economy that they have been preach ing of late. This economy is par ticularly necessary because the time is fast approaching when many de- ficiency appropriation bills must be passed to enable the Government to function normally. These deficiencies represent the alleged billion and a half savings that MT. MendeII boasted in June the Republicans had accomplished in the first six weeks of the special session.
 Hence the necessity of prompt and effective interference with some of the leading standing committees, those to which big appropriation bills are entrusted. The curious spectacle was then presented of these com n1ittees, after having prepared bills following exhaustive hearings, being forced to discard their work and re- port m ensures to the House with inn mense appropriation cuts, but so erudely and unscientifea1ly done as to greatly weaken their purpose that is, Government service to the people.
 The fact that this Is a presidential and Congressional campaign year had materially assisted MT. Mondell and his steering committee in en- forcing obedience from their clans men, but even then an outbreak is expected before the proposed ad- jeurnment in June. Already MT. Mon dell has lost control of his forces on some party measures, but the per petual cracking of the party whip
 
 back to the reservation.
 The committees chiefly interfered with, and chiefly resentful because Of the careless tossing on the scrap heap of their respective arguments, are those on Rivers and Harbors, Naval Affairs, Agriculture, Ways and | Means and Foreign Affairs. Each has been humiliated recently by the dic- tation of the Republican steering committee, but they have been forced l to submit as has the Repu blioan ma 1 jority in the House. True. it Is like | ly, following the precedents of this Republican session. that the Senate | will increase all these appropriations 1 and that the House will meekly con- 1 cur, but those concurrences have never found a place in the Repub1i- | can leaders claims of Republican l economy.
 In recent debate the Repubn- cans were kidded" by Representative | Claude Kitchtn of North Carolina, and had to laugh with the Demo- ,rats at the form er House Demo- 1 cratic leaders description of their plight.
 "Of course, there has been some 1 criticism of the gentleman from i Wyoming and the steering committee by Republicans and by Democats," | said MT. Kttchin. 'I do not criticize the steering committees for taking 1 charge of these regular standing committees of the House. I think they have done right from their standpoint. These committees are composed, from the steering commit | tees viewpoint, of incapable, i'm 1 potent members.
 Here is the committee on Ways and Means, a very important com mittee which has been existence | for over 100 years, and it is con- 1 sidered by the House to be a very important committed, and of which my friend from Michigan, (Ir 1 Fordney) is the chairman and has been on it for II or 15 years They 1 would not let Brother Fordney get out the bill to appropriate s150,- 000,000 to loan to Poland and Aus l tria and Armenia to keep their peo- pie from starving. To illustrate the 1 situation, in the city of Vienna, there is a hospital that will accommodate l 1S,000 children-babies-a do you know that the children put there | have been dying at the rate of from l 60 to 96 per cent? The highest rate in one month was 960 out of every 1000 put in perishing from lack of 1 food and medicines, and they are un- able to help the situation. Relief must come from the outside, and the steering committee tells MT. F'ordney, You should not help. Report no bill out Come before me. Your com mittee has not sense enough to know what to do. Humanity, starving peo- pie and perishing babies cannot in-