The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-23
At He National Capitol
DAILY WASHINGTON LETTER
A Digest of Who's Who and What's What By RODNEY BUTCHER

1 Washington.-The rules of the
 house Of representatives, which up
 until the soldier bonus loan bill was
 reported, had given the administra-
 ton something of whip hand in congress, are sure to be revised
 when the 72d congress meets and
 finds the house with an insurgent
 balance of power.
 The autocratic power of Speaker
 Longworth, Republican Floor Leader
 Tilson and Chairman Shell of the
 rules committee is bound to be re-
 duced, even if the republicans main-
 tain the existing setup of 218 re-
 publicans, 216 democrats and one
 farmer-laborite.
 1 Incidentally, some senators also confidently predict the unseating of
 George Moses of New Hampshire
 from the presidency pro tenn of the
 senate. There will be a very close I cleavage between the two parties in the senate as well as the house, of course, but some of the regular l republicans are also privately ex- pressing opposition to Moses for various reasons and have been won- dering which one among them will be willing to be a candidate for the job.
 The president pro tenn is almost purely an honorary post, however, and any change will be unimpor- tant as compared with the proba ble change of operating methods in the house.
 Longworth. who probably will succeed himself as speaker, has ad- | mitted that the rules will have to be liberalized. And the hand of the Longworth-S She'll l-Tilson triumvirate | could be forced, anyway, if a few insurgent republican members should vote for another republican for speaker or for the democratic can didate. In one case the deadlock caused by lack of any majority would be used as a weapon and in the other a acknowledgements | coalition might organize and rule the house if the democrats were will ing.
 | The present house leadership has power of censorship on legislation coming before the house and it's exercise of that power has often caused the house to be regarded as Q rubber stamp for the admin istration. The so-called oligarchy has been able to prevent considera- | tion of various measures passed by
 the senate as we'll as others pro- posed by representatives and sometimes even supported by ma jority of them. It's iron hand has been used on such measures as the | Norris Lame Duck amendment, Muscle Shoals legislation and va rious of the relief measures in- spired by drought and economic distress. Bills can be kept with committees indefinitely under the present system.
 Congressman Charles r. Crisp, one of the most distinguished par liamentarians here, has proposed changes in rules which already have attracted considerable support and probably will be back by an in- surgent group and nearly all the democrats.
 His first |. change would permit the various house committees to have meetings without being called by the chairman. If three members ask the chairman to call special meeting, under the Crisp rule, the chairman would have three days to acquisce or refuse to call meet ing for within seven days of the request. If the chairman refuses and q majority of the committee had signed a request, the meeting would be held regardless and the committee would be in position to report the bill under considera- tion to the house as soon as it liked.
 Most important however, is the proposed change in the "discharge rule" A committee cannot now be instructed by the house unless q