Evening star., 1940-04-28

III, VI NutJO5Ntu. "A. r. ENOLO.
she wangled from Republican admin
istration a 1900 900 hospital in New
Jersey. When the Democrats got control
of the House in 1890, Christopher D.
Sullivan of New York declined the chair
manship OF the District Committee,
which fell to Mrs. Norton by right of
seniority. Thus she became the first
woman chairman of q congressional
committee.
The monument of this chairmanship
is the tuberculosis Sanitarium at Glenn
Dale, Md. Not yet realized, however, is
the goal of her ardent campaign for suf-
frage in the District. She was convinced
by personal experience that no Con-
gresham, with the demands of his own
constituents paramount, has time to
handle the Districts affairs with COM
petence.
The sudden death of Representative
William P. Connery, jr., of Massachu-
setts elevated her to the Craftsmanship
of one of the great House committees,
that on labor, in 1887 Absorbed in Dis
trict matters, Mrs. Norton had never
been an active member of the Labor
Committee. In a moment she was
plunged into leadership of the historic
battle over the wage-hour bill.
1t will be remembered how the Rules
Committee, dominated by coalition of
Southern Democrats and Republicans,
refused the bill clearance to the floor;
how Mrs. Norton overrode the committee
by means of a petition signed by a
majority of the House membership, only
to have the bill recommitted, which
would generally mean its death; how
she proceeded, undaunted, to engineer
second petition, and how the measure
was finally passed.
Countered House Amendment.
This field was scarcely won when a
larger struggle opened with an attack
on the Labor Act itself by special
committee, led by Representative Howard
w. Smith of Virginia. He reported q
series of amendments which. in Mrs,
Norton's opinion. were designed to de-
stroy the Magma Carta" altogether. 1t
is generally considered an instance of
her shrewd generalship that Mrs Norton
countered with substitute amendments
of her own, which will not impair in
the slightest degree the acts funda-
mental rights and guarantees" Her per-
sonal wish, as matter of truth, was to
keep the Labor Act as it is. She spon-
sored the second set of amendments
merely as spokesman for the Labor Com
mittee of 20 other members.
She is inclined, with considerable i'm
patience, to ascribe the present situa-
ton to civil war between the American
Federation of Labor and the Congress
of Industrial Organizations. With the
instinct of housewife perhaps to the
fore, she asks what can Congress be
expected to do until labor clears away
its own rubbish"
From her male colleagues, Mrs. Norton
has met with occasional resentment,
which she thinks natural, over the fact
that woman is chief of SO important a
committee as that on labor Admirers
and critics agree that she is as tough
minded and realistic politician as the
House can muster; that her battle for
the Labor Act will be fought throughout
with courage, tenacity and expert COM
mand Of. all the resources of parlia-
mentary warfare; and that she will ask
no quarter on account of her sex. They
applauded her skill in seeking to shift
the conflicts ground to the question as
to whether the Rules Committee shall
enthrone itself as autocrat of the House.
Temperament Causes Complaints.
Even in New Deal ranks there are COM
plants that Mrs. Norton's temperament
considers any difference of opinion as q
hostile act, and that she carries to ex-
tremes of feminine rancor her feud with
Representative Edward E. Cox of Geor-
gia, the actual master of the Rules Conn
mittee. A few days ago in a House de-
bate, Cox asked leave to speak two
minutes longer than his allotted five.
Generally such courtesies are granted as
q matter of routine. Mrs. Norton snapped
out a refusal and held to her point de-
spite entreaties from her own supporters.
There are also mutters from time to
time she is Mayor Hague's "right-hand
woman" in the notorious Jersey City
machine. In reply, she tells serenely the
story Of man who sent her a check for
500 as a campaign contribution. She
returned it--with suggestion that it
be made out to her manager. Accord
ing to her version, it has been the first
maxim Of her political life never to
handle personally cent Of money.
whether by way Of receipt or payment.