The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-18
ALABAMA SO[ONS
 VACATION CIV N | LITTLE PLAY TIME
Third of Delegation Remains in Washington, Others
 Are Busy
WASHINGTON BUREAU.
 THE AGE-HERALD, WASHINGTON MARCH 17.

Although congress is in adjourn ment. sine die Cor as former Vice President Marshall puts it. sine Deo) a third of the Alabama delegation re- mains on the scene as rear guard
 This third is composed of Senator J. Thomas Heflln and Representative John McDuffie, of the First: Lamar Jeffers, of the Fourth. and William B. Oliver, of the Sixth district. If indications are accurate. the third finds sufficient labor with which to occupy itself, for Washington. pro- verbally, and like Beelzebub, finds work for idle hands tG do.
 Senator Heflin. a 8 soon as he com pletely winds up his affairs, will go direct to Alabama. The departure of MT. McDuffie is delayed by the illness of his little girl. MT. Jeffers will not school releases his son. Mr. Oliver awaits certain warm weather before escLrting his mother, whose health is not robust, back to the sunny south
 Senator Oscar W. Underwood is somewhere between Athens and Cai- TO. Representative William B. Boiling and Representative elect M. C. All good are in the south Seas observing. under guidance of the Secretary of the Navy, the spring maneuvers of the battle fleets of the Atlantic and Pacific. Representative William B. Bankhead is in los Vegas with the house committee on irrigation of arid lands, making study of redemption and reclamation of territory which is not now cultivatable. What he learns will be useful, he thinks, in driving into the head of congress, another session, the necessity of draining the extensive swamp lands in Alabama
 The remaining members of the del egation are at home--some practicing law and all repairing political fences"
 Railroad Legislation.
 In the next session of congress. Legislation affecting the railroads of the country will be, perhaps, the par amount issue. In framing and put ting into effect that legislation, Ala bamians will play a conspicuous part.
 The object will be the securing of law half way, if possible, between the Cummins- Esch Act and the sug- gestions of labor unions involving government ownership and operation. Prior to their introduction, proposed statutes will be considered by the in- terstate commerce committees of the two houses. Of the senate commit- tee, Senator Underwood. on the dem- ocratic side. will be most influential. He is ranked by Senator E. D. Smith, of South Carolina, but as that sena- tor is more concerned With agricul- ture than railroads, Underwood is expected to speak for the democrats. Senator Pomerene. of Ohio, and My CTS, of Montana. who previously ranked Underwood, will not be pres ent the next session.
 As Underwood is reg lrded as a conservative, it Is probably in accord with the eternal fitness of things that Representative George Huddles- ton. regarded as a radical, will be influential on the House committee which will consider railroad legisla- tion. Huddleston is a member of the LaFollette bloc. the majority of the members of which believe in gov ernment ownership. Huddleston is ranked only by Representative Bark ley of Kentucky and Rayburn of Texas, and he will be in position to wield considerable influence.
 Underwood Ana RuSale.ton. H
 In this connection. it is possible that when next the democrats se- cure control of Congress (which will be in two years, democrats predict) Underwood and Huddleston will be chairmen of the committees charged with protecting the railroads from professional "baiters" and the pub lie from the railroads.
 There is little question but that
 
 only senior, Smith of south Caro- lima, would accept the chairmanship of the committee on agriculture. While two members are senior to Huddleston, within a space of two years. anything might happen. Hud- dleston is member of no other com mittee, and is understood to be enamoured of the work his mem- bership entails.
 When Senator Underwood resigned the leadership of the Senate, there was expressed regret by his friends that on assuming the leadership he had surrendered membership on sev- eral committees on which he had ob- tained high position. This is especi- ally true respecting the powerful committee on appropriations. But the senator did cling to three com mittees-expenditure in the execu- tive departments, interstate com merce and rules. The two last men tioned are highly important. When odds are that Underwood will be able to select his choice of the chairmanships of rules and interstate commerce. That lie would accept the latter is regarded as certain.
 Under present conditions. he will democrats on both.
 Solons Specializing.
 There is tendency on the part of members of Congress to specialize rather than generalize on legisla tive subjects. In the Senate. for in stance, as a committeeman, Senator Underwood will study legislation properly coming before the inter- state commerce committee. Senator Heflin will give his attention to agriculture. Of the committee car f~,. Af..