Evening star., 1923-03-11
IAN. "a INAUGURAL
PLAN TO Be PUSHED
Bill Blocked in Last Congress
Will Be introduced
Again.
PASSAGE WAS ASSURED
Senator Norris Blames Mondell
and Campbell for Failure
of Measure.
PASSAGE WAS ASSURED

The joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the Constitution so as to
bring about the meetings Of newly
elected Congresses January 4 and the
Inauguration Of newly elected Presi-
dents January "a, which failed Of enact
ment in the closing hours Of the last
Congress, will be reintroduced and
pushed in the next session. according to
Senator Norris of Nebraska, republican.
before he left Washington yesterday for
the west.
At the session ended March 4 last
the resolution had passed the Sen
ate by a vote OF 81 to 3. It was re-
ported favorably to the House and
was scheduled to go through that
body by a largo vote.
Two men, who, Senator Norris
charges. were actuated by a desire
to please the President, prevented a
vote in the House-former Repre-
sentative Mondell of Wyoming, re-
publican floor leader, and former Rep
resentative Campbell of Kansas,
chairman OF the rules committee, who
was acting Speaker while Speaker
Gillett was Ill at home. Senator Norris
said he was convinced that they had
prevented action because the President
did not want the resolution to pass.
Nor can the Speaker, Mr.. Gillett, him.
self escape criticism entirely for the
failure Of the resolution, in the opinion
Of Senator Norris, though he was not
present.
Says Change IL Needed.
Mr.. Mondell would not permit tbe
resolution to como up for action, and
Mr.. Campbell. in the chair, would not
recognize Representative Andrews.
chairman Of the committee in charee
Of the resolution. to move to suspend
tho rules SO that it could be acted
upon.
There was no good reason why
this resolution should not have been
passed and submitted to the states
1T would have passed the House by
a big vote and by now I have no
doubt would have been ratified by
several Of the state legislatures. 1t
provides for q reform much needed,
doing away with the short sessions
Of Congress at which little can be
accomplished. and putting an end to
the condition under which members
Of Congress who have been defeated
En- yAO1cIo<A TA~
tho country. It was q reform that
has been widely demanded Tho press
Of tho country approved 1t, practically
unanimously, SO far rs I can learn.
Tho American Bar Association and
tho American Federation OF Labor
have both advocated such a change.
Senator Norris called attention to
the fact that two "lame-duck" men,
hers of the House had been re-
sponsible for preventing action on
this measure, as a case tn point why
the Constitution should be amended
as proposed in the resolution.
He said that he himself had taken
the matter up with Mr. Mondelr and
that tho latter had flrst objected be-
Cause there was so long Q time be-
tween the assembling OF the new
Congress and the Inauguration Of the
new President-twenty days. Mr..
Norris said he had offered to make
the difference in time anything that
Mr.. Mondell suggested, and then the
latter had said it was too early to
have the new Congress meet after
the November election-that the
country needed = "cooling-off'' period.
''The only source from which such
. cr1tictsm emanated that know o."
satd Senator Norrfss '1s the Whita
H0lonA