The New York herald., 1921-01-23
REPRESENTATIVES
OF NEW YORK CITY
IDLE IN CONGRESS
Record Shows Little Work
Accomplished by Dele
CATION of 81.
BILLS ARE IGNORED
Only One Member Voted on
War Finance Corpora
tiOn Measure.
ABSENT FROM SESSIONS
Four Important Matters Up
for Action in House Receive
Scant Consideration.
ABSENT FROM SESSIONS

Scant COnSlderarlOn.
Special Despatch to THE New York HErMD
New York Herald bureau,
Washington. ID. C., Jan. .2.
New York city's twenty-one Repre-
sentatlves are doing surprisingly little
work in Congress. 1t is the largest dele
cation In the House, yet there Is very
little said about them in news reports.
A review of the activities of these
members is interesting from many points
of view, and will convey information to
their constituents to which they are un-
doubtedly entitled. In the first place it
is only fair to say that the frequent
changes In the New York delegation-the
tendency of the various districts to keep
1 a man In the House only one or two
terms In most instances--keeps the New
York members from attaining the promi-
nence In committee councils and as lead
ers in formulation of the big legislative
plans of Congress. 'Uncle Joe" Cannon,
the dean of the House. and Representa-
tive Champ Clark, both ex-Speakers, fire.
quently have said that the way for
Congressional district anywhere in the
country to make name for itself in the
House and obtain for its Representative
real influence in the framing of legisa-
tion is to pick out a fairly good man
and keep him steadily on the job year
after year.
Fitzgera1d's Long Term.
A notable example of this was seen
in the case of former Representative
John J. Fitzgerald. OF Brooklyn. who was
returned term after term to the House
until he finally attained the position Of
ranking member at the head of
the minority--then Democratic--of the
House Appropriations Committee. per-
haps the most powerful committee in
the House. Then when the Democrats
won the Congressional elections in the
middle OF the Taft Administration Rep
resentative Fitzgerald became chairman
of that committee and at once sprang
into prominence as one of half dozen
leaders of the majority.
This Is the result of the seniority
rule, which Is supposed officially not to
be followed, but which In actual prac-
ticc is followed by the Committee on
Committees when it makes UP the COM
mittee lists and picks the chairmen. ex-
cept when some very special reason is
found for breaking IT.
Congress convened for the present ses-
v
%. when there was a lull in business 20
enable the mmbers to go home for The
Christmas holidays, there had been
record" votes. or roll calls, on four
measures of exceptional Importance to
the country, namely, the immigration
suspension bill. the resolution to repeal
the war laws, the renewal of the War
Finance Corporation and the emergency
tariff bill.
All of these measures we're passed by
the House and are pending in the Sem
ate. The first record vote taken by the
House at this session on any measure
was on the Merchant Marine medal bill,
on December s. Previous to that the
only roll call was that which Is usual
at the beginning of each session to dis
cover whether a quorum Is present for
the transaction of business.
All voted on First Bill.
All twenty-one of the members from
Greater New York were present and
voted on the merchant marine medal
bill, two days after Congress convened
On the immigration bill, which came
up for final action on December IS,
eleven of New York city's Representa-
tives were present and voted. while ten
were record ed as not voting, which
means they were absent from the cham
ber. They are not even recorded as
answering present" which any mem-
ber has the right to do II he does not
wish to be recorded for or against n
measure.
The same showing--eleven present
and voting and ten not voting-was
made by the New York city delegation
on the resolution TO repeal the wartime
laws. Then there was a big slump in
-
in what was going on In the House.
When on December 1s the final vote
was taken on the passage of the reso-
luton to revive the War Finance Cor
poration only one member of the New
York city delegation Is shown by the
Congressional Record to have been
present and to have voted. Where the
other twenty were IL not disclosed.
The record is scarcely more encourag-
ing on the emergency tariff measure
which was passed December 90. On that
occasion only four New York members
) are recorded as present and voting.
Representative william L. Cleary.
Democrat. of Brooklyn. voted on the
question OF reviving the War Finance
Corporation. Representatives Anthony
J. Griffin. Democrat. of the Bronx :
Thomas J. Cullen, Democrat. Brooklyn :
Lester y. Volk Republican. Brooklyn
and Daniel J. Rordan. Democrat, New
York city, voted on the emergency tariff
resolution.
or course, Il was pretty close TO the
holiday season when the votes on tho
last two of these measures we're taken.
but the record shows that there was
large proportion OF the other members
OF the House present. and besides. New
York is only five hours from WASH
ington by fast train and six hours by
a slow one.
To satisfy the curiosity OF many per-
sons about the activities OF the New
Workers. in the House list OF them
has been prepared with brief resume
OF their important committee assign
ments. the bills or resolutions they had
introduced and the number of times
they voted on the measures which have
heretofore been ruentioned-the only
implrtant votes taken In the House
between December and December %.
The facts are obtained from the Con-
rressional Directory and the Congress
sioral Record. which Is the daily yer-
batim journal OF the proceedings OF
! Congress.