Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-12-15
HOUSE IN new
ROW over. MAKEUP j.
RULES COMMITTEE

Washington. Dec. IA row over
the makeup of the committee which
directs the legislative program pre-
vented house ratification today of
the personnel of it's standing COM
| mittees. At the same time, another
effort to break the senate deadlock
over the election of a chairman of
the interstate commerce committee
failed. and the situation there ap-
parently was exactly where it was
! when the senate quit balloting last
Wednesday.
Opposition by both Republican
| insurgents and Democratics of the
house to plans of Republican or
ganization leaders to have eight of
their number on the rules commit
! tee developed to such an extent that
it was. decided not to present the
committee list to the house for APP
prevail as had been planned. Wheth-
err there is to be any change in the
| fixed ratio of eight majority and
! four minority members will be dis
cussed at a Republican conference
| called for tomorrow. The Demo-
Gratis will hold caucus Monday to
| consider the question.
Meantime, action on the commit
| tee personnel by the house has def
| nitely been deferred until next week.
: 1t will delay organization of the
| ways and means committee which
| had planned to begin consideration
| of tax reduction legislation next
Monday. Representative Green, OF
| Iowa, who has been selected as
| chairman, will call the members to-
| gether as soon as the house has dis
| posed of the committee question.
Although there appeared for a
| time today a possibility of breaking
the senate deadlock. by Monday,
| this hope was dissipated by form
| al announcement on behalf of the
group of seven who have been sup
| porting Senator Lafollette. of Wis
consin, the insurgent leader, that on
! Monday they expected TO vote for
! Senator Howell, Republican. Ne
! braska, for the interstate commerce
| committee Craftsmanship.
| The announcement, which was
| issued by Senator Norris. Republi-
| can, Nebraska, said that il Senator
! Cozens, Republican, Michigan. was
| more satisfactory TO other Republi-
can senators than Senator Howell,
| the insurgents would "be CAD to
unite on him. Republican leaders
said Senator Cummings, Republican.
, Iowa, had been endorsed for the
| Craftsmanship by az regular party
J conference and that they would con-
! tinue to vote for him until the con-
ference had formally decided on
! some other senator.
J With the insurgents supporting
Senator Howell, the situation Mon
! day would be exactly as it was dur
I ing the three days of balloting earli-
er in the week with neither Sena-
! tor Cummings nor Senator Smith of
/ South Carolina, the Democratic can
| didate, able to muster the ma jority
| necessary for election.
| In announcing that the insurgents
would support Senator Howell, who
! ranks last among the Republican
! members of the interstate commerce
| committee, Senator Norris said the
! insurgents had been approached "by
an emissary of the so-called regu-
lar Republicans, and the PROPOSE
| ton has been made to us that in
selecting the chairman of this COM
| mittee, the rule of seniority should
| be overthroWn and a selection for
| chairman be made from other men,
bers of the committee. regardless of
| length of service either in the SEN
ate or on the committee"
I'm order to break the deadlock,
| therefore, We have decided to follow
this suggestion" Senator Norris add
| ed. land when balloting is resumed
| next Monday we expect to cast our
votes for Senator Howell. q member
Continued on Page 10, Col. 81