The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-15
Plan LAID
T0SPEED
WORK
Wants to Get Committees
) Busy During Recess on Bills
for Session Next Winter
By WILLIAM HARD.

special gathering OF the next
House Of Representatives before
this present Congress adjourns on
the evening of the third Of next
March.
It is proposed that the next
House shall gather and shall
name it's committees and shall
otherwise organize itself for it's
legal labors before this present
House expires.
This idea is being thoughtfully
considered by Nicholas Longworth,
Republican floor leader of the
House, and by his assistants in
leadership.
1t is alleged to have two great
merits and beauties. Or, at any
rate, it is alleged to have one
great merit and one great beauty.
Put Committees to Work.
The great merit is that thus the
CCmmittees of the next House of
Representatives would get appointed
and would be able to go to work
on our great problems of state nine
months earlier than usual.
Usually the committees of a new
House of Representatives are not
appointed until that new House
holds it's first actual legislative ses-
sion; and that session usually does
rot happen until December of the
year succeeding =. national Con-
gressional election.
If the committees can get ap.
pointed in February or in March
Instead OF IN December they will
have at least nine extra months for
f. miliarizing themselves with the
subjects on vhiah the are expect
ed to produce legislation.
This point rpFls with Long
worth in his legislative competition
with his dear friend, Senator Cur
It's, the Republican leader Of the
Upper House.
Leaders Close Friends.
Longworth and Curtis are in
Inmates. 1t is sweet and lovely
thing that the leader of the House
and the leader of the Senate, in
stead of fighting dueis at dawn,
should spend agreeable evenings 10.
gether.
1t is held in some quarters that
there should be d Constitutional
provision that the leader of the
House and the leader of the Senate
should always be cronies. If they
hate each Other ! ~" So - 4
a good bill from becoming law.
Fortunately, even without the
Constitutional provision in question,
Lcngworth and Curtis are able to
look at each other across table
anlicabIy and affectionately, even
IL warily.
Just the same, even in the case
of Mr.. Longworth and Mr.. Curtis,
a certain rivalry as old as the re-
public and bound to endure as long
as the Republic endures, exists, and
must exist, between a Senator on
the one hand and a Congressman
on the other.
Would Speed Up House.
Mr.. Longworth wants to organ
lie the next House Of Representa-.
tives just as soon as possible, in
order to cause the next House to
&C c m sh en- Unprecedented
amount of work. which it can
throw into the Senate with the ex-
clamation:
NOV go to it and see II you can
keep up with us under your insti-
fulton of Senatorial courtesy and
under your institution of Senatorial
unanimous consent for coming in
out Of the rain, and under your in.
stitution of Senatorial filibustering,
and under all your other institu.
lions which make us laugh"
That is what is in Mr.. Long
worth's mind. The Attorney Cen
eral does not need to prosecute the
Senate and the House for being a
combination in restraint OF lekisla-
tive trade. If competition were
quenched in every other aspect of
American life, it would still persist
between the naughty Senate and
the contemptuous House.
So Longworth prepares to embar.
rass and discomfit his old, dear
AHLOHu SuTllS.
Curtis, however, through spend.
ing his evenings with Longworth.
ID ready for his dirty tricks.
i Curtis Awake to Danger.
Curtis has revived the Republican
senatorial Steering Committee"
and ne Is prodding that committee
into making programs OF legislation
and into putting those programs
through the Senate with the or
canned and aroused support Of the
republican Senatorial majority.
Curtis is more for steering" and
organizing and legislating and
getting the work done than almost
any other leader that the Senate
ever had.
This is thought to be in order
70 make Longworth feel bad. What
would I.ongworth do H. as Leader
OF the House and as member az
the House, he could no longer
exercise the chief prerogative Of
every member Of the House and
Jeer at the slowness and hardness
and senile dilatoriness Of the Sen.
ate?
Some people think he might have
his revenge by leaping off bridge
into the Potomac and obliHinR
Charlie Curtis to drown himself
leaping after him to rescue him for
the next evenings party.
In any case Charlie Curtis has
come forward with his galvanized
steering Committee" for fast and