Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-09
CONGRESS PLANS
EXPENSIVE JUNKET
ONE HUNDRED MEMBERS AND
THEIR FAMILIES TO VISIT
ASIA.
SPECIAL SHIP WILL
CARRY OFFICIAL PARTY
Each Tourist Expected to Pay His
Board. Government Will Bear
Other Expenses - Iowa Members
Invited to Participate - Several
Other Junketino Trips Planned.
IBy T.. c.. Dougherty.l

Washington, April 9.-iowa mem
hers of congress have been invited
to participate in the orgy OF 1uhNe'S
that have been tentatively piahheu
for this summer, following the demo
cratic national convention AT san
Francisco. The tours promise "
surpass the program OF TRIPS maue
by investigating committees to Eu-
rope and ali parts of the uniteo
States following the armistice.
The iunkets. which heretofore nave
been confined TO small groups OF con-
eress and their families, are pe'hS
extended this year to include every
member of the senate and mousse We"
wishes 10 take his family on iohS
Trim with the federal government
participating in the costs.
While both republicans and DEM
ocrats in congress are preachihS
economy and the finance committees
az the two houses are meeting almost
doi1,. in an effort to reduce taxation
and the expenditures OF the S"\''
ment. the varipas other Gonna tteSS
of congress are planning their Gus
,cmary arnuai junhot%. an" "i''
. rand "unofficial'' junket Is "cths
nlanned on which every member oi
beth houses is being invited.
Trip to Asia.
The "unoffciai' Junhei wal le'N'
San Francisco in July after the DEM
,cra+ic convention adiournS. Tine
Government will furnish the a'''I
transport Mount Nernot. winch win
carry the members and their aihiilc'
10 Hawaii. the Philippines, 'hih'''
Jauan and other places OF interest," Ill
the Pacific Ocean.
REPRESENTATIVE Randall. ri Los An
seles. Calf. is organizing the u4"i-
ficial' iunket. He does not eNpeEt
every member of the senate aAd
house TO Join the iunketiug party
but is making plans for 100 members
and their families.
The, same plan that has been io'-
lowed on smaller juukets will be op-
served on the Pacific trip. Each
person on the Mount Vernon Will De
charged a nominal sum daily, that Is
supposed to pay the cost OF ms OF
her food. Two years ago the sum was
fixed at s. a day, but the members u
congress who are-spianning to take
the two or three months trip TO the
far west this year are preparing to
pav an assessment of 81 per day for
each person. The junket. on that
basis. will cost each person $50 a
month. and the government VIII pay
The remainder.
Members of congress who have re-
ceived invitations to go on the trip
to China and Japan explained today
that it will be strictly unofficial.
BY that it was explained no official
committee or organiza ton of con-
gress is standing sponsor for It.
Other Trips Planned.
Legislators who can not find time
to visit China and Japan at con-
gressional reduced rates" and who
are members of many of the standing
committees of congress. will have an
opportunity to take shorter trips to
other points.
Among these shorter trips which
may be taken is one to the Philip
pines by the, senate and house COM
mittees, similar to the one taken to
Porto Rico this year by the two COM
mittees, and one to Ala ska. which the
subcommittee of the Alaska commit
tee of the upper and lower house in
tend to take. Then the Indian COM
mittees will visit the Indian reser-
va tons thruout the country, while
members of the house and senate
committees on naval affairs contem-
plate going to the Pacific coast to
inspect naval stations and yards
there. Panama also will be visited by
the proper committees.
All of these junkets. however, are
for the purpose of acquainting MEM
bcrs of the house and senate who
have legislation affecting these plac-
es in charge
No accurate record is kept by con-
gress of the cost of the numerous
junkets, but members of the appro-
priations and auditing committees
said today that estimated figures for
the official trips during the past year
aggregated an expense of 100000.