Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-12
NORTHERN DEMOCRATS TO GET
IMPORTANT POSTS IN HOUSE
Representative Mead of New
YorkaSlated to Head Post
Office Committee.
Party Leaders Consider Plan
Ito match Up" Places
Given to Southerners.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


Representative James NJ Mead of
New York is slated to be chairman Of
the important House Post Office and
Pest Roads Committee when the Demo-
Gratis organize with the election OF
Representative John N. Garner as
Speaker.
While at first glance, 1t seemed as II
] Southern Democrats were in line under
! the seniority rule to take over practi-
cally all the important chairmanShips,
more careful analysis of the situation
shows Democratic members from North
| ern States will head number of the
important committees, especially those
| in which the North and West are espe-
cially interested.
The Committee on Post Office and
Post Roads is one Of these. The legis-
lation considered by this committee d.
rectly affects every congressional dis
trict and the pay schedules of several
Of the largest organizations Of Govern
ment employees 1t is expected this will
be one of the busiest committees in the
coming Congress, with several sensa-
! tional Investigations promised.
The ranking Democrat on this COM
mittee in the last Congress was Repre-
sentative Thomas NJ Bell of Georgia,
who was chairman during the Wilson
administration. but Mr. Bell is not re-
| turning to Congress and Representative
Mead is in line for chairman.
In the shuttle of committee appoint
ments. with some members having their
| choice of Craftsmanship of two or more
committees, an effort will be made to
so adjust the schedule of assignments to
give even distribution Of recognition"
to the Northerners.
The party leaders are carefully con-
Sidering how they can hand over to the
Northern Democrats the Craftsmanship
of what are called major" committees
to match up with the Craftsmanship of
Ways and Means and Appropriations,
which go to Southern Democrats. Just
as 1t Is proposed to compromise" by
giving Northerner the floor leadership
as an Offset to the Speakership going
South, so it is proposed to adjust the
committee chairmanships to a more
even balance
Representative Edward Pou of North
Carolina, a veteran member, Is In line
for chairman of the Rules Committee,
which is considered the next most i'm
portant committee in the House TO the
Ways and Means and Appropriations
Representative Pou is in very poor
health. His colleagues have no incli-
nation to push him aside, but Pou has
volunteered to withhold any claim he
has for the Craftsmanship # way can
be found to compromise" ths situation
and meet the demands Of the Northern
members.
However, the difficulty is that Repre-
sentative Will Bankhead Of Alabama is
next in line to Representative Pou, and
many of his friends are strongly averse
to his surrendering his place in favor
of Representative John j. O'Connor Of
New York, who has been mentioned for
the nomination for Floor Leader.
Banking and Currency is another
committee that is being considered as
a peace offering In the adjustment"
Representative Henry B. Steagall OF
three other Southern members follow
ing in seniority order It has been
| suggested that, with the proposal of
President Hoover for establishing bank
| ing stability and safeguarding the
financial structure of the country COM
ing before this committee. the emer-
gency might justify the extraordinary
procedure of drafting" Northern
man of outstanding ability to head that
committee
Another suggestion for compromise"
Is that Representative John E. Rankin
of Mississippi, candidate or floor
leader who is in line to become chair
man of census or World War veterans
and second in line for territories, be
content WIN one OF Lne OCIerS ana
leave the Craftsmanship of the Veterans
Committee for Representative William
p Connery. jr, Of Massachusetts,. Then
Representative Connery could relinquish
his claim to be chairman of the Labor
Committee and it could go to Mrs. Mary
T. Norton, who, in turn, would re-
linquish the District Committee chair
manship, which could go to Repre-
sentative Vincent L. Palmisano of
Maryland.
deal of comforting to work out any of
these suggestions, and none of them
may be worked out. They are men
toned as showing how the members,
bent on achieving party harmony, are
trying to devise ways and means to
effect the best possible adjustments"