The Ordway new era., 1922-10-13

Al ouO -, q piece of paper and put 1t
y " 4. basket on the clerks oeSK' A"e"
Ia, been Introduced.
va h,lls are Introduced, but Few
Aaa. .sod In the last congress 1910
y ~. ps and $50 joint and concurrent res
'Dd ,a,,sn, we're Introduced In the mousse
',.' w s052 bills and 3O4 joint and con
'nu W, NJ. resolutions In the senate.
ell's' ns, q, all OF these. SO public resolu-
w wv and 52l bills passed and became
l'u' =, the land. The record for the
s,s., number OF bills introduced
made In the Slxty-tirst congress.
,ssD I "a 1888 bills and resolutions were
'..aucsd I'm the house alone, out OF
which $40 became law
WIN When the clerk gets hold Of the bill
\, refers it TO the appropriate commit
=. And there II may rest In peaceful
.nuhar forever more. or 1t muy be
,,,ra from again If enough pressure
/, ererted In Its favor.
Out home good friend of mine sug-
,.,ted once that he didn't like this
.mmIttee system; he thought that
.,eh member should give individual
nasderaliOn to every bill introduced.
Imagine II, II you can.
M man can read eost enough to
t,sp up with all bills Introduced.
Most committees get more bills re-
tered to them than can be given In
,,lIse,,t cyrsll Iteration. So, naturally.
Ma hills which have the greatest sup
nrt lp the country get first coasidera-
aoo Congress gives first considera-
dou to the appropriation and revenue
. hills, These and some other bills or
ntlon.wlde Importance coma along
automatically,
Hearings on Bills.
When committee decides to give
oa,Ideratlon to bill. II 1t concerns
nsny people OF interests. hearings are
| held. That is. people Interested are
Invited to come In and tell the com
nlttee why they think the bill should
q should not become II law.
Sometimes these hearings are quite
tlsborate affairs. Some last several
weeks and hundreds Of people come
from all over the country to testify for
or against the bin. The tariff bill
hearing brought experts and prominent
representatives. OF every line OF indus
try to Washington.
The appropriations committee has
s. members, the ways and means %
members and other important commit
lies have y members each. The mem
bers sit around long table and the
witness addresses them. The witness
must know what he is talking about
II he would make good impression
Any member may interrupt him at any
fine with any question, and before he
GETS through the committee Is likely
70 find out all he knows and some ne
doesn't know about his subject. The
hearings are open to the public.
An official reporter takes down ev
gythlng that Is said, and later the
hearings are printed in paper-bound
book form. Some OF these hearings
Ike that Oh the tariff, for instance
run into thousands Of pages. They
bring Out vas, amount Of useful In
formation. and some OF the printed
hearings are practically textbooks oil
the subject discussed. The printed
hearings are given to all members, 81
That they may become posted on any
proposed legislation. Others who art
llerested may. at times. get copies.
After the hearings are closed tht
Committee holds executive sessions
and discusses the bill. 1t may decide
not to report ii out. This PRACTICAL,
Kills bill. 1t may decide on som'
Or many amendments to the bill. ol
may rewrite the bill In another form
Or 1t may report II out as 1t was In
irOduced.
When the bill is reported out i
foes on the calendar. There are sew
efal kinds OF calendars, operating fo
different classes OF bills under differ
ent rules.
Debating the Measure.
The big bills come up In the com
mittee Of the whole house on the stat
ci The Union. Debate is usually tw'
Or Tour hours, though any amount o
ame III may be agreed upon. Sometime
Y or IA hours has been agreed on
ine time Is equally divided betweel
'Ae majority and minority sides. Th
greatest fairness as to division an
uls'flbutlon y Of time always prevails
ine time Is parceled out by the chail
ash y. OF the committee In charge o.
me majority side and the rankin
minority members on the other side
1he bill is drst read. Then come
ae debate. Sometimes members mus
'''eK to the subject under discussio
saa ~ sometimes they are permitted t
Mk y about anything under the SUI
mere Is where campaign speeche
sometimes get In.
AFTER the hours for general debat
nave been used up the bill Is rea
~ ssa'h by sections for amendment
ah's Is termed reading the bill unde
.ae hve-mlnute rule" as no meinbe