Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-20
Does Congress
Talk Too Much !?
by Frederic y. Haskin

BY Frederic J. hahhIh
Washington, July z0.-~It has bccn
suggested. perhaps not altogether ~
Joke. that General Dawes fntgh'
tackle l,ooer.sn in his dollar saving
campaign. and that he might use MS
influence particularly 70 prune the
GnnxressiDnal Record.
By persuso.ng Congress to econo-
mlzs on anecdotes and ailusione 20
this great and noble republic the
General might be atle Il cut down
ths 81 ,o9c words whlch daily are im-
noFtaIlzed IN the pages OF tho Record
and dispatched &c a waiting world. Or.
be might be able 10 stanch the steady
flow ~ extended remarks which regn-
lariy consIne some pages Of the cVn-
gressioual news sheet.
These are radical departures to suE-
gest. but General Dawes seems 10 be
abia TO produce radical changes, and
with a minimum Of effort. Nc one
seems 20 know IL he has turned his
attention to the reckless use Of words
In Congress. but some seem 10 think
it quite possible that tho General viii
get 70 Congress in time, IN his search
fof. superfiuous expenditures.
Already, officials In governmental
departments have been deprived of a
cherished prerogatiye--thst Of select
ing the style and make OF furniture
most IN Keeping with their per sonslity
and rank. Henceforih. says Director
Dawes, briefly. Government Office fur
niture will be- Of a standard type. How
many layers Of red tape the General
cut through TO make this ultimatum
/ possible no one has stopped TO figure
out. But the incident shows that the
budget is being reduced without cere-
mong and in places where 1t was sEp-
posed to be invuinerabIe. Hence the
remarks that have beea heard regard
ing congressional oratory and the
record thereof.
Once Written BY Hand.
1 The Congressional Record started
out in 1879 70 DO an accurate Journal
Of the proceedings Of Congress- each
day. Before that hand written ac-
count had beer kept by secretary
and for a while private newspaper
had contracted to publish the prc :
iceedings for $3.50 a eol1irnn.
One Congressman III an early ses-
sion overcame q feeble sentiment in
favor Of a congressional publication
by shcwing that every Congressman
would want not less than four sopies
and that the resulting expense would
I be 50 exorbitant that the republic
would not stard for the extravagance
| If that thrifty statesman would have
| looked forward te a time when evcr.,
Senator would have IS copies Of the
Record. and every Representative sc
to distribute. he might have prophesied
! the financial ruin of the country.
/ The Record has become an cnfireIy
different publication from the 0ns
planned by its founders. II Is AS much
Of record of what Congressmer
would IKE to say IN the floor as oi
1 their real speeches. IN the Senate. q
member can talk AT length ygifhoui
I interruption ard there are less thar
a hundred Tner 70 want the foor. But
IL the House every minute Of tfrns
must be psrceied out, and the unfn.
\ fiuenfial member or the new one find,
weeks passing without his voice be.
ing heard in the Halls of Congress
Chairman allot time 70 certain mem
bers Of their committees to discus,
| the bills that have been considered Il
committee meetings. The time as
signed is generally brief, but with 4s
REPRESENTATIVE the amateur Con
gressrnan finds small chance to ge
into the spotlight. In this predlca
ment, ne turns hopefully 20 the Con
sressionai Record where every Con
gressnan's chances are equal.
One new member was recognized "a
a minute after weeks OF impatieu
waiting. and after a dramatic paus.
he said sadly that he had been try
ing to make a speech for some tim
and il there wasn't time for that b
would at least like permission to ex
tend some remarks in the Record wit
laughter and applause inserted a
suitable places. The House laughea
but the young Congressman wa
satirizing a common practice.
Extending Remarks.-