Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-07
La TOILETTE FIGHT
BROUGHT TO HEAD
Finance Committee Dead
locks, Four to Four, on
Wisconsin Senator.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The fight to keep Senator Robert M.
La Toilette of Wisconsin off the Senate
finance committee came to head to-
day at meeting of the Republican
committee on committees of the Senate.
Senator Reed of Pennsylvania moved
to place Senator Golf of West Virginia
and Senator Thomas of Idaho on the
committee to take the places of AM
bassador Edge, former Senator from
New Jersey, and Senator Sackett of
Kentucky, who is soon to be Ambassa-
dor to Germany.
Senator La Toilette had filed for as
Signment to the finance committee,
which handles tariff and revenue legis-
lation. Senator Thomas Of Idaho had
made no request to the committee on
committees to be assigned to the finance
committee. Senator La Toilette ranks
Senator Thomas in length of service in
the Senate, and under the rule of
seniority which prevails in making COM
mittee assignments in the Senate Sena-
tor La Toilette would be entitled to the
place.
Smoot WithhOlds Vote.
The committee split, four to four, on
the motion of Senator Reed, with Sen
ator Smoot OF Utah, chairman OF the
finance committee, withholding his vote.
The Senators supporting the Reed
motion were: Senators Reed Of Penn
sylvania, Moses of New Hampshire.
Bingham of Connecticut and Deneen Of
Illinois. The Senators voting against
the Reed motion were: Senators Nc
Nary of Oregon, chairman of the COM
mittee on committees: Capper of Kan
sas, Oddie of Nevada and Nye of North
Dakota.
The committee adjourned to meet at
10 o'clock tomorrow. Senator Smoot
holds it in his power to determine the
issue. If he should vote and the line
up of the rest of the committee remain
the same as today, he could put either
La Toilette or Thomas into one OF the
finance committee places.
The Republican ProgresslveS in the
Senate have been insistant that Senator
La Toilette should become a member
Of the finance committee. Some OF the
old guard have been equally insistant
that he should not go on that commit
tee Senator Golf outrankS in seniority
Senator La Toilette, and under the
usual procedure would have been as
signed to the vacancy. The proSpec-
tive retirement of Senator Sackett from
the Senate, however. opened up the pos
sibility of another vacancy in the
finance committee.
Final Action to Be Withheld.
Although Senator Sackett has not re-
signed from the Senate, he is expected
to do so before long to go as Ambas-
sador to Germany.
The committee on committees had
determined at its meeting this morning,
therefore, to fill the Sackett committee
places with the understanding that final
action should be withheld until after
Senator Sackett actually leaves the
Senate.
Whatever the committee on commit
tees may do, it must be passed upon
eventually by the Republican conference
of the Senate and then by the Senate
itself. If Senator La Toilette is denied
a place on the finance committee by
the committee on committees, there
will be a real fight in the Republican
conference, which will be carried to the
floor of the Senate in all probability
should the conference sustain the de-
NAL.