Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-07-03
.SUNTERSENATO ATORGETS
PLACE AS HEAD Of
COMMITTEE ON RULES
Stephen Pace, of Americus, One
of ''Big Eight" in Upper
Branch of Legislature
WELL FINED FOR Posi-
Other Committee Appointments
in Both Houses Given Men
of Proven Ability

ATLANTA, July 3-The legisla-
tive "Big Eight" are the eight men
who, as heads of the important COM
mittees, are going to have devolye
upon them the duty of engineering
the important legislation through
both branches. The president, the
speaker, the chairman of the appro-
priations. ways and means and the
rules committees.
President Carswell of the senate
and Speaker Neill of the house are
well versed, seasoned" and substan-
tial legislators.
On the two appropriations COM
mittees are Representative Culpep-
per in the house and Senator George
Lankford in the upper branch, Rep
.resentative Culpepper has had a
long and really arduous experience
with the construction of an appro-
priation bill. particularly the last
one. The billsof that nature all have
to originatein the house, as do also
bills raising revenue with which to
pay the appropriations.
Senator George Lankford, of
Toombs county, has twice or three
times served in house appropriations
committees, and holds the record of
having served on more conference
committees to straighten out finan-
cial measure tangles between the
two branches than probably any
other man in the state in the same
length of time.
On ways and means Representa-
4 tive Howard Ennis, of Baldwin, will
head the body in the house and Sen
ator Mayson, of Hart county, the
same body in the senate.
/ 1t is not at all the construction of
the important legislation with which
the rules committee of either branch
has to do, but the dispatch of busi-
ness in the preparation of a work
/ ing calendar. That body is the steer
1 ing department which is charged
with the responsibility of moving the
/ business so that there may be nc
! congestion on the heel of the calen.
dar that will clog the whole machine
/ There are only two legislative
measures which automatically have
right of way-the general tax act
/ and the general appropriations bill
While neither of these could be
/ blocked because of the provision
that the chairmen of the respective
committees may call them into ac-
tion at any time he sees fit, after
they have been reported for final
/ passage, it is fact that this is the
particular point which the rules com
mittce has to guard-has to watch
in order to keep an open way for
! those bills, and at the same time
insure the other important legisla-
tion an open way for action.
In the senate Senator Stephen
Pace, Of Sumter, as vice chairman
of the rules committee, has taken
into that body a former experience
on the house rules committee. an
apt legal mind and a legislative
knowledge that especially fits him
for the post.
President Carswell being by vir-
tue of his office chairman of the
rules committee, the active direction
of the committees work during the
session will devolve upon Senator
Pace as vice chairman. making the
Sumter senator one of the most
powerful men in the senate, espc-
cially during the closing days of
the session when the rules commit
tee will have almost autocratic
power in the direction of legisla-
tion.
These are the Big Eight" The
particular piece of machinery which
each is to guide begins today to
function fully The organization is
now complete on both sides of the
assembly floor Of the capitol, and
the ship of state is being guided
somewhere by competent shippers.