Evening star., 1921-05-29
PROBE BY CONGRESS
is NOT OFTEN FUTILE
Public Good Comes From Investigations
Even When Legislation Does Not
Directly Result.

ticularly with reference to the prep
arations for war. 1t Is generally
| conceded that this surveillance by
the Senate committee did much to
/ correct mistakes and increase eff
cheney by pointing out the errors
being made. After the war. or.
rather. after the signing of the armi-
stice. there were a flock of investi-
} lGations of all kinds of matters de-
veloping out of the war. particularly
with regard to expenditures Of public
money. There seems little doubt
that politics was behind some Of
these Investigations, ordered by re-
publican Congress. into the conduct
of affairs by a democratic admins
tration, with national campaign
coming on.
Part OF Regular Work.
OF course. committees of Congress
are constantly investigating matters
relating to pending legislation. Bills
are introduced and referred to COM
mittees, and to draft intelligent leg
islation. the committees must call for
full information regarding these mat
ters. These Investigations are all in
the days work. as in the case of the
inveStiga tion in tariff and revenue
matters by the House ways and means
committee and the Senate finance
committee and the investigation OF
the proposals to reclassify the gov
ernment employees by the committees
on the civil service.
But the number of extraordinary in
vestigations by congressional COM
mittees is very large, as hitherto in
dicated. The House has recently
been conducting an investigation OF
the escape of Grover Cleveland Berg
doll, the nationally known evader OF
the Army draft law. Bergdoll Is.
according to all reports. safe in Ger
many for the time being, at least. But
the House investigation. while IT may
not result in bringing back the draft
evader, has stirred public opinion
still further in this case. And when
the technical state of war between
this country and Germany comes TO
an end, it is very likely that an i'm
mediate demand will be made upon
W oNCi ~ AAAAS .
ment the draft evader.
CAPITAL Gets Attention.
The Congress is the real governing
power of the District Of Columbia
The District committees Of the Sem
ate and House at times have under
taken by their Investigations to deal
with subjects which could not well
be dealt with by legislation. For In
stance, the Senate District committee
tackled the high cost Of living prob
lem in Washington a year or two ago,
and developed the fact that excessive@
prices were being charged. Its re-
port to the Senate charged pronteer-
ing in many lines. 1t is true that
nothing came of the investigation In
the way of legislation. But the in
vestigation helped to arouse the peo-
pie and may have something to DO
with the greater care with which
buyers began to make their purchases.
and which finally resulted in forcing
down prices in this city. as it has in
others. The House District commit
tee at present is engaged in an in
ouiry into the high cost of theater-
going in the District Of ColuWbia-
The school situation in the District
vas thoroughly aired before a spe-
cial committee of the Senate during
the last Congress. And the conten-
ton is made in many quarters that
the investigation brought about a
great deal Of good. and Is resulting
in increased efficiency for the schools.