The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-03-19
POLITICAL TALKS
 DELAY ACTION ON
 IMPORTANT WORK
Congress Spends Much Time Listening to Big Gam
 paign Speeches.

Washington, D. C.-Almost an en- tire legislative day was spent by the House of Representatives recently lis tening to speeches intended for cam paign purposes. It was done at the direction of the Republican steering committee.'
 The speeches were made on the re- ports submitted by the F'rear investi- gating committee, which, few ago, enjoyed an excursion to the northwest to Inquire into the pro- duction of spruce for airplane mater ial. Apropos of this discussion, Re l presentative Pou, ranking minority l of the Rules committee III l protesting against such waste or ume' again called the attention of the coun- try to the complete control of legisla- ton on the part of the few members of the Republican steering commit tee,'' without whose approval noth- ing is reported out from committee, without whose wise no bill gets to the calendar, nor ever gets to vote.
 MT. Pou's excoriation of the major ity for wasting the public's time and money doing nothing but playing petty politics followed the introduction by Chairman Campbell, of the Rules committee, of a resolution setting aside four hours to debate the aircraft in- uuiry report. Under the rule, which the majority forced through, there could be discussion, and nothing else No action on anything contained in the report was contemplated, none was wanted Simply, four hours were set aside for debate, when alleged failures of the War department in it's aviation program were to be talked about so these irresponsible charges could be placed in the Record, print ed at the public's expense and sent out under members franks all over the country for political effect.
 The resolution was a fair ilustra- ton of the outcome of the scores of inquiries the Republican Congress has been conducting; simply investigate, let loose a lot of unSubstantiated charges and idle talk about extrava
 gance, waste, favoritism, etc., the War Department and let it go at that. No prosecutions are intended or wanted; no impeachment charges will be brought; no authoritative ac- tion against anybody will be taken, because in all the investigations, as
 Representative Pou said on the floor ] tNThese several political Investigating subcommittee have travelled in two
  thing discreditable to Woodrow Will sons administration, and up to this hour you have not put your finger on any scandal. You have had them digging night and day all over this country, and the result of it all is the complete vindication of this admins tration and the men who had control
 of the conduct of the war;
 Denouncing the majority's waste or time when there is serious legislative business demanding consideration,
 and again exposing the complete con- trol of the House by the steering com mittee, MT. Pou said that 'it is not
 surprising that the House received
 this resolution with a litter of ridi- 1 cule when it was read" Declaring that the Rules committee reported out the resolution at the direction of the steering committee, which ordered it done for campaign purposes, MT. Pou said:
 Here is this great body of repre- sentative men, 435 men, absolutely dominated by seven men. am go- l ing to put the roll of honor in the Record. These compose the Repub- lican steering committee; the chair
 man of the steering committee, the | gentleman from Wyoming, MT. Mon T. Dunn, of New York; MT. Winslow of i Massachusetts, MT. Darrow and, ex- i officio, our genial friend, the Speak ! CT. Four of these men constitute a majority; therefore, the result is that
 four men are running this House. The i three states of Massa chusetts, New York and Pennsylvania absolutely
 control the great Republican majority
 here, and therefore the fate of al
 legislation. Let us fix the responsi-
 bility. Surely no one will object"
 Twitt1ng the majority MT. Pou said
 that such able parliamentarians and experienced legislators as former Min.
 ority Leader Mann and former Speak.
 CT Cannon were left off the commit
 tee because they refused to take or
 ders from higher up. MT. Pou ap
 Dealed to the majority to "stop thi,
 fool performance" of wasting time un
 til the people no longer take tht
 House of Representatives seriously and get down to serious work Bu
 his appeal fell on deaf ears, and al
 most the entire legislative day wa devoted to the partisan speeches, a the end of which no action whateve was taken on the report.