Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-21
HEAVY SENATE BURDENS
FALL ON OLDER MEN
Continued from Page one)

tee. is 20. II we omit, further, he
chairman Of the committee on hnahcs, sc
Penros. OF Pennsylvania, who with %
v.srs Ia comparatively young. theh
,he average age of the chsirmen OIL tne
rsmsinine eight most important com
nittees Is 18. =. ~.
COMMITTEES which has charge OF poth
taIat,on and tariff. is more than yen
-sa-, Younger than the average chalr-
n.n ~ the other important committees,
(, Is also fact that his health Is not so"u
Previous to last December ne spent
complete year in absence from the ser
ate and he Ia still in process Oh
cuperatlon. 800, "a
vaars arc seriously Handicapped IN
their energy and effectiveness pS NJ
conditions OF summer session IN sue,
a climate a. Washington culte spa,
from considerations OF summe, h.s,
4, ,s doubtful whether we make the
hes, use OF the experience and ripeness
| Of these older senators by doomihs
| then, 10 the drudgery of comnitteS
Craftsmanship. There are frequent pro
posals to change the rule OF seniority
4 in the senate. So as to have the oines
men for role similar to that played
/ bv the elder statesmen OF Japan. and
/ to recruit younger senators for those
positions as committee ohairmen. IN
which so much of the work depends tof
its value not necessary upon expert
ence and ripeness. but rather upon en-
ergy and devotion TO details.
| /, is Interesting TO compare the aver
ere nee Of the ten senators who are
| the chairmen Of the ten most import
ant committees with the average AZ
Of the ten members Of the cabinet Inc
| average age Of the ten members OF the
cabine, is 50 This average age OF the
cabinet ia in n way an expression OF
Judgment as 20 what Is the best age
for men chosen 20 stand up day after
day. year In and year out. under hard
and continuous work. Tho difference
between this average cabinet age OF %
and the average senate chairman age
OF IS is fourteen years OF added sus-
! ceptibility to the strain Of fatigue ana
heat II represents in rough way the
| difference between the average age OF
men chosen for efficiency regardless Of
any other consideration. and the aver
age age Of those senators who have
| come TO committee chairmansh'ps
hardly less onorous than cabinet
Jobs thru a process which takes ao-
count Of seniority only.
Every once in while tho seniority
system Of selecting the chairnen Of
senate committees Is under criticism
The chief reason II fails lies in the
fact that tradition has grown up
| which associates tho principal hon
Of the senate Win r0sN' ENslil'le
az committee chairmeu. There ought
to be some way for saving both the
dignity and the greater usefulness Of
these older and most experienced
senators without. al the same time.
ioa ding them down with the burden of
some detail work of the committees.
| Much Of this work is sheer drudsery.
which neither calls for any particular
| ability or experience. nor confers any
| inherent dignity. II could be better
done by senator's who are younger
| in years and newer In the senate. and
| tho value Of greater experience and
| ripeness Of the older senators could
be better conserved by giving them
the opportunity to express themselves
more in matters OF broad Judgment
| than in detailed drudgery
| II there Ia a political issue for the
Democratic in this proposal for sum
mer recess. Il does not lie in mere op-
position to the recess as such n lies
rather in the opportunity Of the Demo
Gratis to promise that II they are put
In control of the senate. they will ahol-
| ish the seniority system and ests o.
| lish better method Of choosing the
ohairmen Of the important commit
'aee
| (Copyrish.. 1921. by New York Evening
Post, frc)