The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-08-30
One Man Can Block Any Law by Conference. System in Congress |. Queer Things About Plan Revealed in Recent Session Battle of Huddlest0n Provides Striking Example.
By RODNEY BUTCHER Democrat Washington
 COrrespOndent)


 both houses have passed from ever going into effect. That was one of the things discovered this year about the conference sys- tenn under which house and sem ate undertake to iron out differ ences in the bills they've passed on the same subject.
 Other things become apparent as to the conference system. Il was used, as never before, in the recent session as a face-saving device. Anxious to get away from here, one house or the other fre- quently--to save time on debate accepted this or that amend ment with the assurance that it would be thrown out by the con- ference, whereupon senate or house could gracefully accept the conference report without stultt- flying itself.
 One of the last examples was the senate's passage of the Borah amendment to the tax bill, remoy- ing tax exemption from future government securities, and the Me Carran amendment, restoring free trading in silver-each time with tongue in cheek.
 The conferees knocked out both those amendments and there never was any doubt of it. .y..-. One Man Blocks Path
 But it seemed much more as- tonishing when one man, by sim gle-handed effort, for weeks pre- vented final action on the contro- versial holding company bill. Con. gressman George Huddleston ot Alabama, opposing his two demo- cratic colleagues on the confer ence committee and siding with the two republicans, held off the senate conferees in their effort .o compromise on the death sen tence."
 Huddleston stood in that posi- ton of power because a majority of each conference delegation must agree before the conferees can re- port back a compromise to the two houses.
 The significance in such sit uation lies in the tremendous pressure to which a man in Hud' dleston's position is likely to bt subjected. Lobbyists in the pas' have often worked on conferees som metimes successfully.
 Huddleston stood with the enor nous political pressure of th' administration on one side ant the terrific pressure of the powel lobby on the other. There is n' evidence that he felt either O these ,pressures or that the lobby ists had anything to do with hi grim fight against the death sen tence," But certainly 1t was ar extremely unfair situation for 2 man to be in. Six Billion Dollar Blow
 H. c. Hopson of Associated Gas & Electric testified victory ir the holding company battle wal worth at least $6,000,0O0,000 to thu $12,0OO, 100000 industry. If that true, it is quite easy to perceive that a man in Huddleston's posi- tion might be worth a billion dol lars or so to the lobby.
 Presumably no one ever had th' nerve to offer Huddleston as mucl as a cigar. But congressman hav' been venal at times. And you hay only to recognize the possibilitie to realize why Senator Norris O T1I tho nnnfarnnn system so bitterly and why h made the issue of the "thir' house" one of his chief points il his victorious fight for a one house legislature in Nebraska. Congressman Eicher of Iowa who led the floor fight for tn "death sentence" so vigorousl that he collapsed and has been il ever since, charged that he "neve sat with a man who more obvious ly and deliberately attempted t make 1t impossible to carry on constructive and conclusive dis cussion of a piece of Legislation than MT. Huddleston."
 He spoke also of the Ala baman's "conduct to date in tn conference - an unyielding deter imitation to make no concession whatsoever-and to kill the whol bill." Hopson, meanwhile, was testi l flying that he had recently bee devoting his efforts to the en that there be no bill at all.
 Given Too Great Power In the end, the house, whic had been supporting Huddleston' uncompromising stand, backe down on him after terrific pres sure by the administration, an ordered, him to accept a "compro mise." But this was very close t the end of the session and migh easily not have come to pass.
 The facts do not damage any body's impression of Huddlesto as a vigorous Independent wh stood out honestly for his convic tions, even though those convic tions coincided, with the desires C the power trust"
 But they do show what a pc culiar thing the conference sys tenn is and how 1t can give on man enormous power and plac him squarely on the spot.
 (Copyright, 1885. NEA Service,
 Inc.)