Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-10
Legislation Is the Thing.

AG6 Ao40tAOA 40 LAC II A1uks
President Hoover's plan for a joint
congressional committee to deal with
proposals for legislation to improve the
machinery for the enforcement of the
prohibition laws has struck snag in
the House, where of all places 1t might
have been expected to have smooth
sailing. The difficulty appears to have
arisen because the Republican House
leaders fear that the creation of such
q joint committee, actually to deal with
legislation, might tread on the toes of
the standing committees which have
had jurisdiction of prohibition matters
in the past. Professional jealousy has
been the cause of the upset of many
plans, no matter how well devised.
AS matter of fact, so long as legisla-
ton which is needed by the country
Is put through Congress, 1t makes little
difference what committee of the House
or Senate handles it, or whether 1t is
handled by joint committee of the
two houses. The Presidents proposal
looked to closer cooperation, perhaps,
between the two houses in the matter
Of the Improvement of the governmental
machinery for law enforcement than
can be had through the ordinary
channels, which provide for the con-
sideration Of legislative measures first
by committee of one house and then
by committee of the second house.
His plan also might have expedited
consideration of such measures, since
the hearings and investigations would
have been undertaken by one committee
instead Of two. But. after all, the main
thing Is to get the legislation. If the
plans Of the House leaders are adopted
instead Of the plan of the President,
they may cause a little delay, but they
also may prevent friction in the House
and In the Senate, due to the feeling
on the part Of members Of the judiciary
committees, for example, that they
should have handled the bills amending
the laws.
In the House. as In the Senate, the
sentiment is overwhelmingly dry" ANY
recommendations for legislation to
strengthen prohibition enforcement
which the President sends to Congress
are likely to have favorable considera-
ton. The joint congressional commit
tee which was proposed by the Presi-
dent. and for the creation of which the
Senate has already adopted resolu-
ton, was expected to work closely with
the Presidents Law Enforcement Com
mission, which has been studying con-
ditions in this country for half a year.
There is no reason, however, why the
information obtained by that commits
sion should not be made equally availa-
bic to the members of the standing
which may deal with the legislative pro-
posals. advanced by the commission and
by the President.
The Law Enforcement Commission
has already transmitted to the Presi-
dent a preliminary report, drafted by a
subcommittee, dealing with the better
enforcement of prohibition. The COM
mission Is expected to make further
recommendations to the President on
the same subject. It Is not necessary
that the President have a joint COM
mittee Of Congress to which to trans
NIT these recommendations, although
that might have been more efficient
way of dealing with them. He is at
perfect liberty to send at any time any
recommendations he may desire to
make to any committee of Congress or
to the two houses themselves. The lift
in the House over the plan for a joint
congressional committee to receive such
recommendations on prohibition en-
forcement is, after all, a small matter,
since the opportunities for dealing with
the subject are ample.
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