Evening star., 1939-07-17

'''''@ the sour public
Charles G. Ross. reaction to mid
year cries for adjournment, it is one
that is entirely warranted. A good
number of congressman themselves,
1t is pleasure to add, resent the
often unseemly haste of the ma
jorlty to get out of town.
Unseemly is mild way of putting
it in time like the present. For
Congress to run out on the job with
the urgent work that is piled up
ahead of it-as apparently it intends
to do within the next two or three
weeks-will be downright evasion
of duty. There's not single good
reason why the elected representa-
tives of the people shouldn't stay in
Washington for 10 or II months of
the year if that long a time is re-
quired to transact the public's busi-
ness.
I don't want to be unfair It is
true that when the average Con-
gresham goes home, he does more
than mind his political fences He's
likely to busy himself also with af-
fairs of his constituents. But that
doesn't alter what is said here about
running away from the Capital.
Precedent Supports Attitude.
Precedent, it is also true, is on the
side of those who are now clamor-
ing for adjournment. Let's look at
the record, for it will show not only
what the custom has been but will
answer the question whether or not
the lawmakers are overWorked. In
1888, Congress sat for little over
five months; this period included
two months of the final lame duck
session and the famous 100 days"
of the first Roosevelt administration.
In 1884, Congress was in session for
five and half months; in 1885, not
quite eight months; in 1896. five and
half months; in 1887. little less
than nine months; in 1888, five and
half months. The average for the
six years was less than six and
half months.
Let's concede, for the arguments
sake. that the early adjournments
of the past. even when there was a
mass of unfinished business, have
been amply justified. Congress has
not always been wholly to blame.
Pressure has been put on it from
the outside, at times, on the theory
that it was hurting business; on
some occasions it has been virtually
pushed out of town by the President.
There is no such pressure now, and
if there were it should be ignored
The President, so far from trying to
get Congress "off his hands" is tell
ing it that in view of the highly
disturbed state of the world, it
should stay in session in the inter-
est of American neutrality and Sc
curity" and face the neutrality issue.
He is saying this in the most solemn
possible way, as the officer charged
by the Constitution with the con-
duct of the foreign relations of the
United States, and he is saying 1t
with the full support not only of
his Secretary of State. Mr.. Hull,
but of the head men of the State
Department under President Hoover.
Thorough Job Necessary.
In any case, entirely apart from
what the President wants, the prece-
dent of a six-month legislative year
belongs on the ash heap. Six
months, with the increasing respon-
sibilities that have been put upon
Congress through the assumption of
new and complex functions by the
Federal Government, is altogether
too short time in which to do the
work for which Congress is elected.
That is work not merely of passing
laws; perhaps even more impor-
family. the job today, as never be-
fore, requires research, investigation
and the keeping of a watchful eye
on the multiplying executive agen-
cies. 1t is with poor grace that any
Congressman who wants to run out
of washington at the end of six or
seven months sets up the cry of
executive domination"
Parliamentary government is on
trial throughout the world. The
antics in which this session of Con-
gress has indulged in its considera-
ton, for example, of the monetary
bill and the District of Columbia
bill can only tend to bring the
legislative function into disrepute.
So also, eventually, must the con-
tinued disposition of Congress to
duck out of Washington, rather than
come to grips with politically en-
barrassing issues.
It is said that the summers IN
Washington are hot. So they are.
But they are no hotter here than
in many of the home towns Of the
lawmakers. The heat, particularly
now that the working quarters of
Congress are air-cooled, is no excuse
for an early adjournment when there
is important work to be done. Nor
can any excuse be found in the SAL
aries of the members. Ten thousand
dollars is not too much, but it's a
sizable salary these days. When
Congress voted to raise the pay to
that amount from $500, in 1925, it
did so largely on the ground that
the work had so increased as to re-
quire the full attention Of the men,
bers and prevent them from earn
ing anything in private pursuits.
Congress said that being a Con-
gresham had come to be full-time
job. If that was true then-and 1t
was true in theory if not in universal
practice-it is doubly so today. and
when the full-time job requires the
sacrifice" of staying in Washington
there ought to be no doubt about the
response.
So it would seem. Unfortunately
the fact is, to broaden the applica-
ton of remark made the other day
by Senator Borah about certain Sen
ators, "they will have to build a
fence" around Congress to keep 1t
here much longer.