Evening star., 1922-12-03

lock.
(2) The voting appliance at the
members desk should be equipped
with three buttons. marked Yea.
Nay" and present"
go The apparatus az the Speakers
desk shall record all votes, by means
of automatic punches. on a card bear
ing in alphabetical and tabular form
the names of all members.
90 In addition to the recorder
there shall be one or more indicator
boards. These appliances shall indi-
cate by small colored lenses how each
member has voted as soon as his
vote is cast.
, Publication Of the report OF the
committee on rules was an incentive
for renewed efforts TO provide sat
isfactory electrical voting apparatus.
and soon thereafter several voting
systems' We're exhibited at the Cap!
toll. Each of these systems showed
that the designer had adopted some
part Of the recommendations OF the
committee on rules. but, strange 10
say, all omitted the principal featur.
"a perforated record. One employed
!
an electrically operated printing press.
while still another proposed electrical
discolornuon Of chemically prepared
tape.
The subject OF electrical voting was
again brought to the attention %
Congress during the sIxty-fourth ses
sion through resolution introduced
by Representative Howard Of Georgia
authorizing an appropriation for In
stallation OF a complete electrical
voting system. This resolution was
referred to the committee on &C
counts, OF which Representative
James T. Lloyd OF Missouri was then
, chairman. Representative Stafford OF
Wisconsin. Representative Garner OF
Texas. Representative Garrett of Ten
nessee. Representative Michael X. Reilly
Of Wisconsin and Jerry c. South. ther
chief clerk OF the House. testified in
favor OF the system. This commit
tee reported:
believing that a system can he
adopted which will save time. en-
courage the regular attendance o.
members and insure absolute accu-
racy in registering and rcording the
votes OF members. the adoption OF
the resolution Is recommended.
Owing to the large volume of war
legislation which had 10 be disposed
of before adjournment. the Sixty
! fourth Congress expired before ti.'
Howard resolution was reached o.
the House calendar
THE system which is TO b.- demon
i strated this week at the Capitol
meets all requirements Of the rules
committee and has other features
which appeal to the parliamentary
leaders. 1t is distinguished from all
others by delivering a perforated rec
ord card, duplicate copies OF which
can be run or for all members, Il dc
sired
The system about to be demon
strated includes the following fea-
lures: Interlocking voting stations:
means for changing vote. If desired.
before final record: non-voting mem
bers automatically counted and re
corded: counting votes In each divi-
sion: printing the totals on record
cards; provision for switching mem
bers' seats.
There are three different machines
in the system to be demonstrated
a voting station at each members
seat, indicator boards Oh either side
of the Speakers rostrum where there
are now panels on the wall, which
will fash in distinctively colored
lights how each man votes. and ::
device something like a talking ma
chine at the clerks desk. whici!
makes a permanent card record o.
the vote.
The voting station is 8 small. cylin-
drical affair. which il took two years
work to devise. and each one OF which
has a lock and a different key. 1t IS
supplied with the three buttons
Yea" Nay and 'Present"-none o.
which can be pressed until the key
is turned, and any one Of which
when pressed automatically locks
the others Then there is correc-
tion button, which. when turned. re
/ leases the former vote, and the mem
Der can vote again.
The indicator boards carry the
names Of all members in alphabetical
(! order. As member presses but
ton at his seat it shows IN the proper
| column on the indicator board and
remains lighted until the record is
made after time has been allowed fo''
| all desiring to vote. Thus each man
can see how he votes. how any one
else voted, and a man who is late IN
/ reaching tho chamber has an oppor-
| tunity to sec how his party leaders
are voting.
The record card. which will be six
i teen by twenty-five inches. to record
all 4s5 members. is slid through Ii
| slot In the machine by the clerk.
button is pressed, and, although this
recorder machine performs eighteen
successive automatic operations. the
record card is delivered almost In
stantly, showing a summary OF this
| vote, those present and those not vot-
ing, with the total. 1t shows also the
individual perforated vote for each
member.
The $3.50 appropriation asked IN
the proposed bill for installing this
system, and which 1t is claimed Will
be easily made up IN one Congress
through saving of time, is principally
because Of the quite extensive ana
| intricate task Of wiring the 43o Vot-
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