The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-12-18
The Dark Room of Congress,
Where Real Deviltry May
Be and Has Been Done
By BILL PRICE.

Those House and Senate insurgents and other progress
ves in bodies Of Congress who seek to make national
Legislation express genuine win Of the American people
and not as Is often case the viii and desire Of large
interests which grow fat the expense Of the nation can
find some work to do in overtning the Congressional
conference system that has existed long and is SO full OF
evil possibilities.
In virtually every legislative body in the United States
notably in Congress- devry there is done
conferences the houses devised for the purpose
Of attempting settle legislative differences They cQnsi
tute the DARK ROOMS which the people Of the nation
never get look and from which they hear word
The votsess citizens of the District Of Columbia Americans
In name only months had taste OF what secret
conferences do in emasculatng legislation designed 70
protect the masses Of people, At the last session Of Con-
ress ha Senate at the request Of the Public Utilities Com
mission put in the of Columbia appropriation bill an
item of $4,000 the employment OF special attorney to
assist regular counsel Of the commission handling pub
Lie utilities valuation appeals pending in the courts In one
Of these appeals still undetermined by the courts there
i trust fund Of $45Oo0O0 which the commission
in the District Of Columbus.
The special attorney whose services assd for by the
during ali the years when valuation hearings were taking
place. He is the only man IN washington taminar IN
every detail with the histories Of local public utilities He
knows what water If any all Of them he is courageous
energetic able lawyer.
The House. for reason did not allow this 81 900 item
for protecting the interests Of the Of the people Of
washington District bin went to conference. In that
conference the Senate provision for special counsel was
The two Hearst papers in Washington contributed $1,000
fund Of 5000 to continue the services Of the special
attorney and the people here subscribed the other $4,000
N might mentioned that the regular counsel Of the
Public Utities Commission is allowed by Congress the
magnificent Of $1,000 year to fight the combined
wealth Of local corporations utility matters These
poaons pay their legal representatives hundreds Of
thousands Of dollars annually to PROTECT THEIR IN
TEREsTs
To legally protect the interests Of the whole people Of
fsrs electric light gas and eephone rates the rneasy sum
Of $1,000 Is annually authorized by Congress-
Senators and congressman who are sincerely making the
should
out delay to COMPEL PUBLIC RECORD OF CONFERENCE
committees Of the two houses an OPEN BOOK for the people
read and understand just in the Of the
sons Of House and Senate.
openly reshed out The speeches. the votes thereon are
duly recorded IN the Record ana are gwen
Not with conferences conference is the DARK ROOM
o. American legislative history Ins coerees 700 Cien
that would be tolerated subjected to debate
either House The action OF consree . not necessarily nged
WORK IN CONFERENCE and not In open sessions Of Con-
ferees tremendous power Presumably confrees
are restricted houses
legislation. Under pressure Of legislative work the rewritten
legislation becomes law It may may not have been sub
sced influences of which the public knows nothing and
the majority Of Congress knows nothing.
The point that committee conferences ARE
chner for evil legislation but that they MAY be used
It is an ordinary joke among familiar with the in
bother in tariff legislation for instance seek exactly
what they want in OPEN SESSION Of Congress They wait
for the conferences They things that there diff
ferences between the two houses the tariff rates that
they deeply concerned in Them when the conferences
underway they the powerful influences they
stand well to obtain what they do enough
what they want to be satisfied
One way and that would open the public the mys
ferrous influences that exerted by lobbyists Others
would be to make public record Of every conference recording
the remarks by conferees the attitude they
final vote by which they agree disagree various
OF bill serious objection to this might be that the pub
Lefty given would conferees to the undue activities
OF man representing interests which they do have
publicly known but the record could be published
coneree had acted that the of
be kept thoroughly posted how their representatives
stood.