Evening star., 1938-06-19
REN|S|0N0F RULES
ASKED BY LEWIS
CLIO. Head Demands House
Refuse to Let Minority
Block legislation

Fundamental revision Of the pro-
cedural machinery of the House of
Representatives was called for yester-
day by John L. Lewis as the labor
chieftain continued the bitter battle
OF the last week over legislation
amending the Walsh -Healey Public
Contracts Act.
The bill Of amendments, which
would have prohibited the letting of
Government contracts to firms defy
ing the National Labor Relations
Board, died in the adjournment rush
when the Rules Committee refused to
give 1t a preferential status on the
crowded House calendar. Mr.. Lewis
and number of his associates from
the Committee for Industrial Organi-
cation visited the Capitol twice during
the last week in efforts to force favor
able action by the Rules Committee
or to gain assurance of recognition
Tor q motion to suspend the House
rules and allow a vote on the floor.
They were baked on both occasions.
The c. I. o. chairman's demand of
yesterday was a double barreled one,
calling not only for eventual enact
ment OF the amendments or equivalent
legislation, but also for an overhauling
Of House committee machinery to pre-
vent a single committee from thwart-
ing the will Of House majority.
Traces History Of Proposal.
Step by step, Mr.. Lewis traced the
history OF the Walsh -Healey amend
ments. The Senate passed a bill and
the House Judiciary Committee re-
ported . similar one, but then de-
clined to substitute the Senate meas
ure, with the result that the fate of
the legislation fell into the hands of
the Rules Committee.
Predicting the measure would have
received an overwhelmingly favor
able majority" If brought to q vote in
the House. Mr.. Lewis accused the
Rules Committee members, who are
completely irresponsible" Of delaying
action until the closing days of the
session and then refusing to permit
the bill to come to a vote.
There are two issues arising out of
the history Of this bill to which or
ganized labor will devote itself" the
c. I. o. chairman pledged. THE first
Is enactment of legislation which will
compel those who get public funds to
obey the laws of the land. and thus
to establish collective bargaining in
this country. The second is to de-
mocratize the procedure of the House
OF Representatives so that 1t will 70
longer be possible for a handful of
feactionaries to thwart the processes
OF democratic government.
fractional Minority Hit.
The entire committee system Of
Congress requires re-examination both
as to the Rules Committee and as to
the committees which report bills for |
action. The present system which |
enables fractional minority to con-
troll our national Legislature can no
longer be tolerated"
In his statement Mr.. Lewis did not
explain the nature Of the parliament
tary reform desired
Complaints have arisen frequently,
however, at application of the rule
OF seniority in selecting committee |
cha1rmanships. Circumstance which |
has resulted during the Roosevelt ad-
in placing important
oower in the hands Of conservative
Democrats who have been unsvmna-
'netic to numerous New Deal legis-
ative proposals.
The fact that the Rules Committee.
now headed by Representative O'Con-
nor OF New York. virtually has the
oower OF life or death over important
egislation, particularly when insuffi-
,ient time exists for recourse to the
petition method, also has been CON-
demned on many occasions.