Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-14
Posting Congressman
Hy Frederic J. Haski


Washington. May IA now organI-
zation that fa TO help Congress serve
the interests Of the general public haa
been formed IL Is called the Peor,e' 4
Legislative Service, and it's national
council Is composed OF 10 senator's.
representatives. Judges, editors. and
other well known Iiberals
This organization will attempt to
give the general public also desig-
mated as the ordinary citizen and the
ultimate consnmer--the same ndvan-
tages before Congress that business,
labor. farmers, and other groups have.
These groups are organized and have
lobbies TO present their arguments
foreefnlly before congressional COM
mittees, Almost any information need
ed by them can be obtained instantly
from their headquarters.
But when II comes to the publtc's side
OF case. there is no well posted Rep-
reaentatlve shouting In the ear of
Congress. Even when ConErs ssman
has reason 10 think a bill win work
hardship on the people as a whole, he
has trouble In collecting sufficient
facts TO support his position Senator
La Folleftee said that he hnH spent
- hours day for weeks at n time. try
ing to get at the facts on the other side
OF Soma bin that was being pushed by
corporation.
The new group of men and women
that aim 10 serve the peoples interests
claim that they are not starting 8
lobby. like the various organizations
that boost the affairs OF trndeamon,
niachiniats, cotton growers. and the
IKE The institution they are fonnds
Ing rs somewhat like lobby In that II
is source of information Tor Congress-.
But unlike n lobby II represents no
limited part OF the population. but the
public as a whole. 1t is for the benefit
OF any Consressnen who want In
formation on the public's side OF any
case, and II is maintained by sub
scripuona or members. some of whom
are Congressman.
To support the Public Cause.
The new service organization *.
plains that II cannot logically take
neutral position and furnish inforna-
tion on both sides Of a question. There
is really no need FOR this anyway. be-
cause almost any big bill has its sup
porters for some special interest The
legislative service feels. therefore, that
in taking the public's side IL Is only
balancing the scale.
The national council OF the Peoples
Legislative Service is made up of men
and women in all parts of the country
who are interested in the public well
fare, as well as In that OF some par
ticular group. Thus. there are in the
council the president of the Brother
hood of BoiIermakers and Iron Ship
Builders; the president of the Farxners'
National Council: the general secre-
f.f xxe hJaf
League: the president Of the Alaba ma
State Federation OF Labor; the presi-
dent of the Order of Railway Telegra-
piers. and many others representing i'm
portant groups. These people are not
in the council primarily as labor or
farm representatives. however. but as
members OF the public.
The council has also In its membership
such general social workers and think
ers as Jane Adams. Thorstein yeblen,
Herbert Croly Frederic G. Howe.
The attitude OF the organization on
any particular bill will be decided after
conferences of the national counca.
Not all OF the members of the Congress
who are interested in tho organization
will agree with the stand taken on a
bin. But those who do can get in
statistics, and help in coli
lecting data. so that they will be able
TO maintain their ground effectively
during floor debates and In committee
No workers at the legisla-
tive service headquarters. either the
chairman or his assistants, are to APP
pear at hearings to testify.
The. organization to fight tho puolic's
battles was created in December, but It
is only now starting on its real work.
So far 1t has been busy planning ways
and means. II is now deciding what
measures 1t viii support or attack dur
ing the present session OF Congress.
On taxation and transportation, the
two biggest problems. 1t will undoubted-
ly take a stand and offer some assist
ance.
Besides furnishing material to Con-
gress. the organization viii make a
point of watching pending legislation
In order TO issue warnings against bills
that seem unfair to the people. An ex-
ample of this class of legislation is the
joker. an unobtrusive paragraph that
changes the effect Of an otherwise In
nocuous BIN. Often a joker is so in
worded that its full meaning
Is not grasped at all in casual reading
0f the bill. Such a parliamentary strata
gem would be a bill fixing a wage scale
which raised the previous rates. IL the
bill declared that all previous legisla-
ton on the subject was to become al
together void when the new law went
into effect, some persons receiving more
money for a special reason would lose
instead Of gain by the new bill. Such
In1ustces have been done through