The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-12-13
HOUSE DEMOCRATS
VOICE GRIEVANCES
Attempt To Replace Repub-
liCans On Rules Com
mittee Fails

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-Dissatis-
faction over the representation &C
corded by republican organization
leaders to democrats and republican
| insurgents on the powerful House
rules committee cropped out today at
a caucus of house democrats. Rep
! tentative Moore of Virginia at
tempted to pledge the members OF
| his party to vote to displace two OF
the eight republicans selected for
membership on the committee with a
democrat, and Representative Nell
son, Wisconsin. leader of the House
| bate his proposal was rejected.
Had the Virginia members mo-
ton to insist on a change of com
mittee personnel prevailed, the dem
| ocrats attending the caucus would
have been bound to vote to GUST two
republicans froms the committee
when the question comes before the
House, probably Friday. AS it is,
the minority, in the opinion of Its
leaders, is under obligation TO ratify
the rules cammittee states OF both
the republicans and democrats,
thereby precluding any possibility of
the insurgents blocking organiza-
ton of the committee and tying up
legislative business.
The movement led by Moore got
under way at a meeting called TO
ratify assignments of democrats TO
various House committees made by
the minority members of the ways
and means committee. While the
caucus was in session the republican
committee on committees completed
it's task of designating republicans
for membership on committees pre-
limnary to party conference attel
tomorrows session of the House, at
which the committee states Will De
up for ratification.
All of the committee assignments,
once approved by the party confer
ence, must he ratified by a vote Oh
the House except these of the steer
ing committees, which will be MADE
up by Representative barrow, Penn
sylvania; Anderson, Minnesota; San
ders. Indiana, who served on the
committee in the last Congress; and
Representatives Magee, New YORK
Tincher, Kansas; Graham. Illinois,
and Snnott. Oregon. new members.
This committee. together with me
rules committee, determines ths
House legislative program.
Having determined that the demo-
Gratis should have four of the l.
members on the rules committee
the same ratio as prevailed during
the sixty-seventh Congress-the re
publican committee on committees
Representatives Smell. New York,
who win be chairman; Representa-
tives johnson, South Dakota. and
SchalL Minnesota old members, amt
Tilson, Connecticut: Scott, Michigan
Burton, Ohio: Moore, Illinois, and
Bixler, Pennsylvania.
REPRESENTATIVE Pou. North Caro-
lima. and Garrtt, Tennessee. the
democratic leaders, were reasslened
by the democrats to the rules com
mittee, the additional two minority
members selected being Bankhead'
Alabama. and O'Connor, New YORK,
on the strength of their. Increases
strength In this House as compared
with the last Congress, the demo-
Gratis had sought to have tlNe rules
committee seats allotted to their
membership. Refusal of the republl-
can leaders to grant this request
coupled with the failure OF the repub-
lican committee ON committees to
place an out-and-ott insurgent on
the committee led to the move ny
Mr.. Moore TO support the majority
Drogram.