The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-08-31
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hutchet Out
The Truth
. HOW COMES A LAW?
. SQUEEGEE INDUSTRY
. WHOSIS BILL IN HOUSE
"MUST" LEGISLATION

How comes law? Lots Of laws,
thousands of them.
More and more problems. Too big
for anything but government. So more
and more-"There ought to be law"
For information, read daily bulletin
on "Care and Feeding of Laws" other
wise known as Congressional Record.
Popular conception: Senator Loud
gale "arises in his place" reads pro-
posed bill. Eloquent address. Welkin
rings. Enthusiastic shout of "Vote,
Vote" Bill passes amid cheers for
Loudgale.
Is that how it is? Merits!
X X X
First, Representative Whosis of
Umpty- -Steenth r. l. is waited upon
by more or less righteously indignant
delegation. The gadget industry is
going to the bowwows. Layoffs, wage
cuts, bankruptcies.
Right after Whosis' last Election,
his district had drought. And now
this gadget thing comes up. Bad for
Whosis. Whosis drafts bill. Introduces
same. Speaker sends bill to commit
tee. Committee already has several
headaches per square inch over cause
and cure of much more important
squeegee industry.
Bill for relief of squeegees spon-
sored by chairman of committee. No
time to monkey with gadgets. Whosis
gallumps about. Induces chairman,
"just to get rid of the pest, to bring
up gadget bill at end of committee
hearing on squeegee bill. Squeegee
bill ordered reported favorably by
committee. Chairman feels expansive
and benevolently suggests also ap-
proval of gadget bill. Which goes on
calendar. Gets mildewed there. Whosis
induces chairman to call up bill un-
der Unanimous consent" Representa-
tive Whatsis does not like Whosis and
objects. Bill passed over. Passed over
three times and goes off consent cal
endar.
Adjournment coming on. Whosis
starts to gallup about in earnest.
Drives chairman of Rules Committee
into jitters begging for special rule.
Hearings all over again before Rules
Committee. Rule denied on ground Of
congestion of business and must"
legislation.
Whosis transfers activities to Sem
ate. Gets Senator Mountainpeak in
terested in desperate plight Of gad-
gets. Senator introduces bill. Entire
ly different from Whosis bill. Noun
tainpeak bill licked in committee. Call
ed up by Senator on floor. Licked
again. Mountainpeak bill attached as
rider to every appropriation bill.
Kicked out on floor. Threatens to
filibuster is not passed. Finally slips
through. "Dam it all, give the big So
and-so the bill so we can get some
where"
Whosis bill comes up in House.
Slips through on consent Calendar"
while Representative Whatsis is out
of chamber at committee hearing on
his bill for relief of dofunnies.
Conferees appointed in House and
bills. Conferees do not meet. Whosis
starts gallumpmg again. IN dead
earnest.
Speaker of House, President of
Senate, Chairman of Rules Committee
make wry faces. Congestion of busi-
ness. "Must" legislation. No demand
for Whosis bill, anyway. Whosis ap-
peals to home folks. Wires, postcards,
letters come in, demanding passage
of bill. Session adjourns, bill still in
conference. Next session conferees
meet Fail to agree. Bills return to
respective Houses with conferees rec
concentrations that they "do not re-
cede" on differences.
Conferees finally butcher both bills
beyond recognition to reconcile differ
ences. Both Houses accept conferees
report and bill passes. Gadget indus
try wildly indignant.
| Whosis licked in next election.