The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-12-06
ENOUGH MAJORITY
FOR ORGANIZING
AFTER THAT, THE REPUBLICAN
CONTROL OF THE HOUSE MAY
BE RATHER DOUBTFUL.
COMPLICATED BY FACTIONS
Changes Coming In the Most lmpor-
tant Committees of the Senate as a
Result of Upsets In the Recent
Elections.
BY EDWARD 3. cLARK

BY w b. CLAhk
'Washington.-The Republican ma
j~orities in house and senate have been
reduced greatly, but the assurance
seems to be that the majority in the
senate will have no difficulty in mat
tiers Of reorganization and that prob
ably all representatives in the house
whosbear the name of Republican will
join to perfect the house organization.
After the house is organized along
Republican lines nobody can tell what
may happen. There are factions with
In the dominant party in the house,
and no Republican attempts to deny
the fact. 1t may be because the ma
jority is so small in the house that the
Republicans will be able on matters OF
moment to keep the members of their
party in line, but when it was said in
other writings on this matter that the
party with a small majority was easier
to keep in line than a party with a
big majority, no thought was taken OF
a majority SO, small as to be almost
invisible.
There will be some committee chair
manship changes in the senate as a
result Of the recent election. Senator
Porter ]. McCumber of North Dakota
was defeated In the primaries, and 1t
was known prior to the election that a
change must come in the chairman
ship of the powerful finance commit
tee Of the senate.
La Toilette Moving Up.
Senator Reed Smopt OF Utah Is the
present second ranking majority MEM
Der of the finance committee. Promo
ton to the chief place VIII come to
him. 1t Is interesting to note that SEN
ator Robert nj. La Toilette of Wiscon-
sin is the next ranking member Of the
finance committee. Therefore he will
stand second in that body when the
senate Is organized after March fourth
next. If anything should happen to Sen
ator Smoot, Senator La Toilette would
be in line for the craftsmanship Of the
finance committee, and it goes without
saying that this would not be altogeth-
er agreeable to certain Of the senate
elements.
The Wisconsin senator already is
chairman of the committee Oh manu-
features. and when the senate is re-
the highly important committee on in
terstate That place now is
held by Senator Townsend of Michi-
gan, who has gone down to defeat.
Senator Cummins of Iowa Is the chair
man.
Membership in the committee on
post offices and post roads of the SEN
ate is highly desirable. The chairman
of that committee today is Senator
Townsend. After March fourth next
he will disappear from the upper
house, and If seniority shall rule, as
it probably will, Senator Sterling Of
South Dakota will assume the chair
manship.
The recent elections will create two
vacancies In the committee on finance
in addition to that of the chairman
ship. Senator Calder of New York,
and Senator Frelinghuysen of New
Jersey were defeated at the polls for
reelection. There will be much riv-
airy among ambitious Republican SEN
ators to secure these places. Mem
bership In the finance committee Is
desired just as earnestly by the sen
ators as membership IN the ways and
means committee of the house is de-
sired by the representatives.
Foreign Relations Committee.
In these days OF interest in interna-
tional affairs the foreign relations COM
mittee of the senate offers its mem
bership attractions to the senators who
are diplomatic minded" Henry Cabot
Lodge of Massachusetts Is the chair
man of the committee. Senator Nc
Cumber of North Dakota, is second in
membership. If Senator Lodge had
not managed to escape defeat, Will
liam e. Borah of Idaho almost I'M
doubtedly would have been made the
chairman Of this committee, and the
country knows pretty well what the
Idaho senator's thoughts are ON the
subject of international relations. AS
1t is, Senator Borah after March 4 next
VIII De lUe ScColiu TdHhliB IHeI0Def OF
this great committee.
When Senator Harry s. New of In
diana retires from Office next March
the Republicans will find it necessary
to name a new chairman for the COM
mittee on territories and insular pos
sessions. This committee has to do
with Hawaii, Alaska, Porto Rico and
the Philippine islands. The impor-
lance of it's duties therefore can be
well understood.
1t is said today that the Republicans
probably will choose Nicholas Long
worth Of Cincinnati as the leader in
the next house to succeed Representa-
tive Mondell of Wyoming, but this mat
ter has not yet been settled.
Claims of Vets and Drys.
Naturally enough : the so-calIed
vets claim that the so-called d-ys
lost prestige as a result of the cleo
ton. Naturally enough, also, the drys
hold that the same thing is true
In reverse. The s1le of Intoxicating
liquor is forbidden by the Constitu-