Evening star., 1922-01-12
The New Chairman of Finance.

"Probably the mos. powerful posi-
ton in Congress. and from an econo-
mic aspect hardly less Important than
the presidency ITSELF" ts the chair
manship Of the Senate finance COM
mittee. The death OF Senator Penrose
LETT Il vacant. and the succession.
Under the time -honored seniority rule.
goes to senator Porter J. McCunfber
OF North Dakota. Thus for the first
time in sixty years that important
committee will be directed by 4 west.
erner. That IN itself a number OF
wri..rs regard as mo. q pleasant
prospect for the eastern states. which
pay the bulk Of the taxes and which.
financial institutions are vitality at
feeted by fiscal legfsiatien." But when
to this less OF control by the cast IL
added the fact that tho west&rner
who succeeds te power IL, the Hart
ford courant treoubiicah) asserts.
tural bloc that has not hesitated to
show that it plans to run the country
just as much az It possibly can FOR
the interests OF a particular class hf
citizens many editors felt that an
especially auspicious moment had ar
ie. e naepsnasns esssn a a.meers ne s caled s
'the Foolish rule Of seniority"
That practice has always been
fraught With potential dangers OF
great magnisude." nis :, the s.,,,,aa5 Hartford to
ssse sss ce9ts,n s9w iof the ' Ses mavs1
journal Courier Independently con-
tends, "Mr. MeCumber possesses no
such knowledge of the revenue needs
Of tie country at large. and of its
separated revehue-producihx powers.
activity and Investment as to war
rant his selection II the contest was
an open one between men OF known
fitness." and. with the Nav York
Herald, independently and others. the
mantle should have fallen upon Sem
afor Smoot as the better qualified.
Il Is not Mr.. McCumbers geo.
graphical alignment that is worrying
the papers and the old guard" who
are fear, ., the ansnsn 'snst o. aomtsss his ae
ohAirnaanship, the Chattsnoosa News
(damocraticj thinks, for they would
have agreed to go west. as Grsely
advised. If they could have had Ehoot
instead Of Mecambes,r 70 the Dc.
the catastrophe event" as the Co
lumbia tS. C.) state fdemocraticl in
.erprets it, Is "for the ariff,makihg
committee to have for It's head 9
senator. mot a business man." and
they mean "by business man q senA.
tor who knows how to frame taritfs
tSriffs ars framed" There IL still a
crun1b Of comfort, however, which the
Springfield Republican independent,
holds out to wall street and eastern
financial interests, for, II points out, Nc.
Irnhber comes up for recollection III No.
ven,ber, and III he should be defeated
back home wall street could hnd corn.
pe,,satien in the fact that Senator Eneot
would succeed him." But the hy In that
ointment 10 that "if anything sudden
should then happen to Mf. Smoot, Wall
street. would have a AZ. The republican
next IN line after Mr.. Snioot 10 Robert
III. La Toilette Of Wisconsin
However, TO the Baltimore Sun (irde.
rendent democratic) .'tae chief fact
about the promotion Of aIcCumber to
the vacant chair In the finance commit.
oiisArchy whose history has been writ.
Seleon =. Aidrich and Boies Penrose.
McCunber is not OF their mold" This
is, indeed. . significant change. agrees
tae Memphis Sews SoinitAr (lndepend-
ent), which means transferring the
chAirrAanship from the east to the west.
from the representatives Of big business
to the representative Of farming and
AkricultufSl Interests, from reaction
aSy. to 9. pss1Ttssive." The Columbus
f0hiol D,fsAsoA sindspsadsns) accord