The Washington herald., 1921-07-31
Activity in the House.


TINE past week in the House has been ftful
with legislation of minor character
pending and frequent quorum calls to keep
sufficient number of members present to transact
business ..t,a.
For two weeks the tariff bill had been under con-
sideraton with virtually the entire membership pres
ent They were strenuous days and as soon as the
measure was disposed Of scores Of members left
town on delayed busness-or pleasure.
Most of those who remained also wanted to go
but the House leaders decreed there was to be no
recess and they stayed They were not in fit humor
to work. however, and the result has been week
spent in wrangling over what Representative Mann,
formerly Republican floor leader, called "chicken-feed
legislation" and frequently rebellion at the lash
which kept them at their desks.
Representative Mann insisted that the only op-
portunity Congress would have for a recess would
be during the time the Ways and Means Committee
is considering tax revision and he declared that if it
remained in session during the dog days, then God
help the country" y.
"The country Is just waiting breathless" he said
"for the. disposition of these small bills We
killing time and wasting the time of the House and
the country trying fool the people and they know
it. We pretend to be doing business when we are
not We wasting time instead of having courage
enough to quit while and 60 home"
Representative Pou, Democrat of North Caro-
lina disagreed with Mr. Mann, insisting that "this is
one hour in the life OF the Republic when member
of this body can have any business more important
than staying here in Washington and attending to
his duties. I'do not know what the answer Of the
majority is going be to the cry of distress that is
going up from every part of the country. Nobody
but lunatc ought to expect relief from the Fordncy
tariff bill 1t may be that some measure of relief
will be afforded by the tax bill which the Ways and
Means Committee is said to be considering. The
country is anxiously hoping And there is no
reason why the membership of this body should not
remain here and consider that tax bill"
FOLLOWING the. wrangle, the House refused to
- pass bill brought in by the Military Affairs
Committee appropriating $2,soo,ooo to settle
claims against the government for seizure Of radio
and radio-tciegraph patents during the war.
Later, when resolution was brought in to allow
the Joint Commission on Reorganization to pay the
salary of Walter F. Brown who represents the ex-
ecutve on the commission, the Democrats by parlia-
meDary tactics forced adjournment without having
taken action ...-...
The Democrats lined up solidly against the
luton on the ground that dangerous precedent
being set in allowing the President to appoint men,
Der of legislative committee
For the first time in many years the Speaker
issued warrants for the arrest of absent members in
order to maintain quorum, the Republicans refusing
to adjourn and the Democrats insisting upon the
presence of a quorum.
The situation was automatically solved when
Democrat Representative Sisson, of Mississippi, in
order to make motion adjourn without its being
ruled dilatory, asked to change his vote from
present to The addition of the one vote created
a quorum, whereupon Republican Leader Mondel
moved adjournment. 80 ''a d" .i' .'t 3
Ion Wednesday the House passed resolution
authorizing the payment Of $4,000 out of appto-
priaton Of $5s4ooo previously authorized for the
termination of the pink bollworm to be used in
NTH States in nhirsin