Evening star., 1936-04-07
DEFENDS WOMEN
AS LEGISLATORS.
Senator Caraway Speaks in
Radio Forum on Duties
in Senate.

Declaring the "time Is past for
treating women as set apart by sex
from any serious legislative qualifica-
tons" Senator Hattie w. Caraway
Of Arkansas said last night that mot
one of them has failed to take the
responsibility as less than sacred
trust"
Senator Caraway spoke in the
National Radio Forum, arranged by
The Evening Star and broadcast over
the Nationwide system of the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co.
In her address, she reviewed her
manifold duties as a member of the
Senate, emphasizing that she was
speaking as lone of that body" and
not as woman looking on from the
sidelines.
Text Of Address.
The text of Mrs. Caraway's address
follows:
Ladies and gentlemen of the radio
audience: I wish to thank the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co. for allowing
me this time. When they asked me
to appear on this program 1t was
suggested that choose my own SUBJ
ject. However, the inevitable sug-
gestion that 1 speak on women in
politics followed, not from the broad
casting company, but others. In
fact, "A Woman Looks at the Senate, 1"
was favored. To me that implied
talking of the Senate as one seated
on the sidelines. observing super
ficially, analyZing, also superflcially,
then writing a story colored entirely
by ones own beliefs. That would be
impossible for me. as am not on
the sidelines. I am of that body. an
integral part. What is done there is,
In part. my responsibility, so that any
discussion would have to be of a
serious nature. Those who take job
seriously get to have a pride in their
work, and a great respect for those
associated with them in serious en-
deavor.
Each Senator is assigned to q num-
Der of committees and in so far as
possible each is allowed choice In
these assignments. Sometimes they
have to wait for vacancy on a COM
mittee. The chance of a chairman
ship comes from seniority (on COM
mittee), and. of course. the chairmen
are always Of the majority party.
When the Democrats secured a ma
jority in the Senate the ranking Dem
ocrat on each committee automati-
cally became the chairmen. You see,
neither the amount Of work you do
nor any special aptitude you may
show. or knowledge you may have
on things considered in a committee,
advances you on road to the chair
manship. However, it can be said that
your attention to your duties and your
ability does give you influence in the
committee. In fact, the committees
may be termed schools in which in
executive sessions the subjects are
taken up and studied from every angle.
Public hearings are often held in
which impassioned witnesses testify
for or against the bill. A record Is
kept of this testimony. 1t is when such
hearings are under way that the offices
are sWamped with kilograms and let
ters, hundreds of them sometimes be-
ing identical, word for word and
comma for comma.
Committees Digest Ideas.
remember one time getting many
letters on q certain matter. These let
tiers were answered naturally and to
my astonishment replies were received
saying that they were glad to have
had my letter. but they had not writ
ten me concerning this legislation,
that they were relying on my Judg-
ment in such matters. Some OF them
even sent affidavits that they had not
written me concerning this bill-but
I digress. When all the testimony in
these hearings is printed, the COM
mittee. in executive session, again
goes over the bill, thrashing out the
pros and cons and. after weighing all
the testimony, striving to see that no
injustice is done, trying to protect the
helpless, and to be fair. The bill is
finally reported to the Senate, in the
form you might say Of predigested
matter. OF course, some one may be
quick to suggest that, though pre-
sented as predigested matter, they
give 8 lot Of people stomach aches
true, but they likely relieve lot OF
heart aches and pains from empty
stomachS. This does not preclude
amendments on the Senate floor. Very
often members of the committee have
pet amendments which they offer, but
as a general rule the bill Is passed
much as it comes from the committee.
That is why it is considered that the
committee work Is most important
part Of the job.
My committee assignments are most
pleasing-Agriculture and Forestry,
Commerce, Library and Enrolled Bills.
My favorite is that of Agriculture and
Forestry. Maybe because, some
newspaper man has said, Il am
typical farm woman" For weeks this
committee has been carrying on an
investigation of stock market trading
in cotton, in an endeavor to find out
the cause Of the slump in cotton
prices on March II, 1895, and the
cause Of the decline in our export
markets.
Conducts Pollution Hearing.
AS Arkansas has more miles of nav.
igable streams than any other State
In the Union, with the resultant food
control and other problems, I deem it
a privilege to be a member of the
Commerce Committee. As chairman
Of subcommittee in that committee,
I have attended joint hearings in the
House, and for week I conducted
hearings on Senator Lonergan's stream
pollution bill. We have had hearings
on the Overton food control bill,
which conflicted with some other COM
mittee work and so time had to be
divided between them. Only last week
In the consideration Of the House
omnibus food control bill, we were in
session nearly all day, only leaving
the committee room for q bite of lunch
and to return to the Senate floor for
yea and nay votes. I left that CON-