The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-02
CONGRESS
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ing administration to conduct the af-
fairs of the government at the mini
mum operating cost is to be carried
out the many minor leaks in the treas
ury must be plugged the same as the
larger leaks.
Expect Saving.
BY changing committee hearing
methods leaders in congress expect
: to effect very substantial saving in
stenographic and printing costs: pre-
vent a wastage of paper and the
abuse of the Thanking privilege; and
safeguard against waste of time on
the part of members of the various
committees. thus speeding up the leg
islative machinery.
A report which was compiled re-
Gently by William Tyler Page, clerk
of the house of representatives, shows
that during the last fiscal year the
total number of copies of committee
hearings printed at the government
printing office was 262 ,149, containing
many million pages of printed matter.
The cost for extra stenographic work
for committee hearings for that year
reached s65,372
after being printed, are not deposited
in the document rooms of congress,
but are at the disposal of the particu-
lar committee which conducted the
hearing Under this system it is pos
sible for the representatives of the
numerous propaganda agencies locat-
ed in Washington to secure these cop
les, frequently entire issues, and have
them distributed under congressional
franks.
Time Taken Up.
To realize how much a saving the
proposed committee hearing reforms
would be in the time of the members
of committees congressional leaders
point to the fact that most of the work
of the members is done in committee
and not on the floor of the two cham
bers; that as committee hearings are
now conducted it is practically an end
less procession of selfish interests and
: paid propagandists. They take up so
much of the time of the members of
the committees they appear before
that delay in the enactment of legis-
lation results.
Much of the delay in the considera-
ton of two measures of major impor-
lance, the revenue and the tariff bills,
during the present session can be at
tributed to these causes.
Are Close to People.
Members of congress are coming to
realize that they are really much clos
er to the people and know what they
want in the way of legislation better
than those who, to hold their jobs, in
many instances, come before commit
tees to testify with the plea that they
represent so many thousands of PEG
pie of this or that industry, or of some
cult, or of some labor organization OF
so-called reform organization.
Members of the house keep in par
ticularly close touch with their con
stituency for congressman are elected
every two years. AS a result the aver
age congressman generally knows just
about what his constituents want and
what their view point is upon impor
tant subjects.
The plan now being discussed pro
vides for calling of halt on the &C
tivities of propagandists by barring
them from appearing before commit
tees, and for the calling in only of ex
perts on questions effected by legisla
ton under consideration.
The desirability of having more
Joint meetings of senate and house
COMMITTEES is being urged by numIel
y of members of congress. This would
not only save expense, it is said, bu
would result in having the senate anC
house in closer accord on legislation
1t would also result in expediting leg
islation before the two bodies, it is as
serted.