The Ordway new era., 1922-10-06

'uppose used to think so. | had
seen the legislature at work. and nat
uraliy supposed that such an impor.
taht body AS the congress would not
work more continuously than does a
state legislature. had never seen
much Of the eastern part Of the coun.
try. and when l came down here 1
found myself planning little week end
trips to New York, Atlantic City, New
england and nearby places.
But l had another guess coming
The congress takes mighty few week
end recesses.
In olden times, few years ago in
fact, the congress was in session, more
or less leisurely, for about half the
year. The members could spend a
good deal of time back home where
congressman are not SO numerous and
where their official title cuts more Ice
curing the past six or seven years the
congress has been in almost continu.
Gus session. The war, OF course,
threw big burden on congress and
brought about the extra long sessions.
The talk here would indicate that for
u long time to come a member will
spend most Of his time in Washington.
The house meets every day at twelve
O'Clock noon and continues Ii session
usually until five or six o'clock at
night, and some times later. 1t meets
usually every day except Sunday. 1t
observes few legal holidays and has
taken only short recess at Christmas
times.
When the house Is In session a mem
ber rarely leaves the hill. He may
not sit in the house all the time, but
he sticks around nearby SO as to be on
hand II quorum Is needed or u vote
taken.
He gets his lunch whenever he can.
There Is a restaurant in the capitol
and in the house Office building, and he
usually eats hurliedly In one OF these
when lie finds Il slack time. Mems
tastes In lunches vary everywhere, but
/ have observed that members are usu-
ally light eaters at lunch time. The
speaker and several other men of my
tie Of milk and eat 1t In bowl with
crackers or bread. This may be fol-
lowed by ice cream, pie or some SIM
pie dessert.
Hard Work in Committees.
II member had nothing else to do
but to attend sessions of the house ana
give some study, thought and conslu-
ration to the big problems before con-
gress he would find himself quite we'll
occupied But that is only half of the
work-perhaps not half. Much Of the
business of congress is conducted In
committees.
Every bill Is first considered in a
committee, and sometimes committee
spends weeks or months holding hear
ings and considering single Dill.
This was true of the revenue, tariff,
bonus, immigration, educational, pro-
hibition enforcement appropriation
and other big bills. Some committees
meet every day for weeks at a time,
and others at less frequent Intervals.
Committees usually meet at ten O'Clock
In the morning Sometimes they go on
working while the house Is In session
and sometimes they meet at night.
Some members have very hard COM
mittee work and some are more or less
fortunate, us they choose to look at It..
AS a rule, every committee wants 10
consider every bill that can possibly
be referred to 1t, and almost every
member Is anxious to get on the most
important and hardest working COM
mittees. m
Then there is the office work. Ihe
mail brings lots Of office work. Inc
office and departmental work alone
youl1 keep a man fairly busy all OF
the time II he worked union hours.
Much Business With Departments.
The practice has grown up for many
nsonle to write their congressman
about their business with the various
departments. The Western members
get a great deal more of this CLASS OF
work 10 do than do the members from
tbe East and South. The public lanu
tracts furnish much business that
must be looked after at the geherai
lond office. During the week mem
her is apt to have business before the
Interior department, the forestry serV.
ice. the pension bureau, the veterans
bureau and the Post Office depart
ment. And he may have an lmmigra-
tion case before the Labor department
n nassport case before the Department
of State, some business In some Drahc,l
of the Agriculture department, ana al
most anything else before any other
hnreau or department in Washington
A member never considers the aues.
.,on op official duty. If 1t is something
that can properly be done' ana ooh-
stituent hack home wants IT done' he
coos md does 1t. And he Is glad TO 40
1t, far 1t makes him ir'enu .,u. ha,ns %