Evening star., 1936-11-29
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

Preliminary work Of Congress has
already started-about six weeks before
the Seventy-f1fth enters upon the stage
OF Capitol Hill-and this does not mean
the usual cleaning preparations for the
incoming Congress. Usually at this time
of the year several subcommittee of
the Appropriations Committee are at
work on supply bills to get them in shape
for passage at the short session" which
has been done away with by constitu-
ton amendment. OF course. the parlia-
mentarian is getting the program ready
for prompt organization on January 5
so as to be ready for counting the elec-
tory vote on January 6, as provided by
law. But this year an entirely new pro-
cedure has been started, so that the
usual jam of bills in the House on the
opening day may be eliminated. At the
opening of session something like or
more than LOCO bills and resolutions are
to be expected. On the first day of the
last Congress there were 1876 bills in
troduced, and during the first session
9,242 bills and 642 resolutions.
So that the Office of the chief bill clerk
and the Government Printing Office
will not be swamped on the opening day.
0ll1S dAAO ACCOAaC2OAAo d4C dA Cd0y DC4Il6
received, recorded, numbered and
printed confidentially. They will not be
available, however, to newspaper men
and other interested parties until the
House is ofhcially open for business.
Several hundred bills have already been
received. william j. McDermott, jr., the
chief bill clerk, has undertaken this
preliminary work with the approval Of
Tr;y, al nf hA
members of the House have been notified
to this effect in q form letter.
McDermott has charge of the num-
bering and printing of bills and the
transcribing for the Congressional Rec
ord of bills, resolutions, executive docu-
ments and reports of committees-and
he keeps a complete record of the ref
erence of and action on bills. resolutions,
executive documents and reports of COM
mittees and their status. Bills, resolu-
tions. memorials and petitions are de-
posted in a basket at the clerks desk.
Those of a public nature are referred to
committees by the Speaker: the refer
ence of those of private nature is in
dicated by the member introducing or
presenting them.
The Committee on Invalid Pensions
has jurisdiction over Civil War pensions
exclusively-all other pension bills are
referred to the Committee on Pensions.
Those for correction of military record
go to the Committee on Military Affairs:
those for correction of q naval record to
the Committee on Naval Affairs. War
claims bills 60 to the Committee on War
Claims.
1t is necessary that the name of the
member introducing appears on a bill
or resolution in order that he may be
given proper credit, and before 1t can be
printed or entered in the record book.
The title on the back of q bill must be
the same as in the body of the bill.
Change of reference Of public bills is
made by action of the House only.
Change Of reference of private bill is
made by the committee to which the bill
was referred.
The substance or transcript of petit
tions and memorials is prepared in the
chief bill clerks ONCE and reference
made to the proper committee. In order
that the transcript may appear in the
Congressional Record in accordance with
the wish of the member filing 1t, 1t is
suggested by the clerk that he place a
brief transcript on each paper and
indicate the committee to which he
desires 1t referred.
In preparation of reports of commit
tees. care should be taken that copy
of the bill reported accompany the re-
port. and if amended, that the amend
ments be placed in the bill accompany
ing the report. Information concerning
the introduction. reference and status
of legislative proposals may be obtained
by new members promptly from the chief
bill clerk, Mr.. McDermott, or his as
sistants.
Hats of again to the women IN
politics. Here we have one who most
successfully managed her husbands
campaign for reelection to Congress
without opening headquarters or issu-
ing literature or advertising Of any kind.
He-Representative Clarence Cannon,
Democrat, of Missouri, former parlia-
mentarian to Speaker Champ Clark and
successor to the seat in the House held
for 50 long by that "Old Roman"-re-
ceived the highest vote ever cast for
any candidate for any oh1ce in any
election trs.the history of that old ninth
district. The official vote was Roosevelt.
60,428; Cannon, 62.557 Cannons ma
jority was the largest given any congress
sional candidate in rural Missouri-and
q compliment to Mrs. Cannon's manage