Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-31

ema). but are one of the sound processes
for the search, production and distribu-
ton of the truth. And they are more
they spread cooperation with govern
ment among our best citizens, not only
in finding this truth, but also they aid
to spread 1t and get action on It,"
An Opposition View.
One phase of the subject of Hoover
commissions was debated Interestingly
in the House of Representatives on Jam
uary % and "a OF this year, when the
bill to authorize the Public Lands Com
mission was up, Representative Bank
head opposed the bill. He commended
that 1t was the duty OF members of
Congress to make their own studies of
every question, however complex or
ramified; that the members of the COM
mittee on public lands knew all about
the question, anyway, or could soon
gather what additional knowledge was
needed.
Gentlemen" he continued. eve are
going pretty wild on this commission
business. The field is very inviting. I
nave not the time now to recount some
OF the great commissions, some of the
expensive commissions, we have author
lied. the time they have spent in these
enterprises, the vast amount of public
money that has been expended on them.
could recount them almost without
number even in my own experience. No
practical legislative result, in my opin-
ion, has ever come from a single one of
them. But in this modern time we hear
OF commissions for this and commits
sionS for that. When the Fly
ecutive Is allowed to come in by infiu-
ence or by appointment of commissions
outside, like this one, feel, gentlemen.
1t is an invasion not only of the dig
nifty but of the real constitutional con-
struction of our forefathers with refer
ence to our duties"
One OF the exchanges in the course
OF the debate was the following:
Mr.. Bankhead-It is admitted that
you nave a lot Of information in refer
ence to this question, and you said in
answer TO the chairman of the commit
Of the statistical information and sen-
eral information you would REQUIRE in
order to formulate an intelligent policy.
That much Is admitted. But the trouble
Is, gentlemen, that the area is so vast
ana there are so many local and selfish
ana personal interests involved in THIS
question that you Western gentlemen
cannot get meeting Of minds upon the
general policy because Of local infiu-
ences and local differences Of opinion.
MT. Leavitt-Will the gentleman
Mr.. Bankhead-Yes
Mr.. Leavitt-Is that not the reason
why we need a commission?
Mr. 5ankhead--No. I say you do
not need commission.
Nothing New, Replies Fort.
Representative Franklin w. Fort de-
Tended the resolution in a speech in
which he said:
Now, gentlemen have talked of spe-
clal commissions as If they were some
Cnlng new. There were is of them
created under the administration Of
President Wilson-and this eliminates
the three war years of 1916, 1917 and
1918. There were Is created In the
other five years of Mr.. Wilson's adj
miniStration; there were 10 in Mr.
Harding's administration, and there
were 20 IN Mr.. Coolidge's administra-
"It is nothing new. My own re-
search goes back % far as 1867, I
nave not gone back of that date, but
ton since then, and why? Because
the completely of modern America
raises new problems which touch too
many sides of the public life to be
examined by narrow investigation. And
because, gentlemen of the House-and
you know this to be true-the modern
demands on your time and my time,
with the enormous growth Of our dis
trtctS, with the vast liaison duties de-
manded of US by our Constituents are
too great for US to give to any one
question OF public Importance q years
solid study.
This kind Of question needs a year,s
solid and exclusive study by trainc 4
minds. You cannot do it. I cannot
DO 1t, no member of this House can do
1t. It is not that we would not II we
could, 1t Is that We cannot. With the
pressure OF all our duties, we must
nave somebody else collect and collate
the facts for us in order that we get
the worthwhile facts digested FIRST so
That we know what we need to read
and to study and not have thrown At
us mass Of questions and answers in
hearings, undigested. for our perusal."
In this Mr.. Fort made a close an
proach to the suggestion of Glenn
FRANK, president of the University of
wisconsin, that the time had come to
create q third House Of Congress. a
technical and fact-getting house to aid
the other two. Later, in the debate. It
was brought out that the Court Of
Claims had actually changed its struc-
ture and procedure because of this
growing complexity of its work: that
court no longer listens to witnesses at
all, but has turned over the whole task
OF inquiring into the facts TO commits
Sioners.
Rule by Dictator Cited.
The difficulties of legislative bodies
In other parts of the world in adjust
ing themselves to increasingly compile
Gated problems were emphasized by
Representative Luce, who said:
THE march of invention has, within
these 10 years, brought to us the prob
lens OF the radio, the problems Of in
terstate motor transportation and the
problems of aircraft. The same period
has brought us the problems Of the
prohibition law.
with these burdens and all other
burdens brought by new conditions, it
has become manifeStly impossible for
the members OF this House to master
without help all the problems that con-
front them.
"If the product of is years of ear
nest study OF the legislative branches of
government throughout the world may
be of any value would say my own
conclusion is that right there you have
the reason for the disrepute into which
legislative bodies have everywhere fall
en-. Everywhere there Is harsh criti-
ciSm of legislative assemblies. They do
not satisfy. That is the reason for Mus
solini; that is the reason why within q
few months Jugoslavia has thrown out
of the window representative govern
ment; that is the reason why there Is q
dictator in Poland; why there is q dicta-
tor in Spain; why there is a dictator in
Portugal. 1t Is because legislative bod
les have not adapted themselves to the
new conditions of life"