Evening star., 1945-05-29
Senator Willis Urges
House Election Of
| New Vice President

house OF representatives Oh an
interim vice president until 1948
was urged today by Senator Will
lis, Republican, Of Indiana, testi-
flying before the Joint Committee
on the Organization Of Congress.
Senator Willis said that Secretary
of State Stettinius-who would sue
coed to the presidency, should any,
thing happen to President Truman
lis q man comparatively unknown
and unversed in party politics, who
would be catapulted into the highest
party and official position in our
land"
/ my plan is to have a Vice Presi-
dent who already is familiar with
much Of the work of the executive
branch and can step quickly and
easily into the shoes of his prede-
cessor. when and If necessary" SEN
ator Willis said. This calls for the
election Of a Vice President, in
interim, by the House Of Repre-
sentatiyes-the legislative body
nearest to the people themselves
until the next general election, when
a new Vice President would be
elected by the people"
Quip on Expense Bill.
When Senate Minority Leader
White, member of the committee,
questioned the wisdom of the upper
House permitting House members
to choose a Vice President, his
colleague quipped: why not? After
all, we're only $4,000 a year men"
This obviously was a reference to
the extra $4,000 expense money
House members voted for themselves.
Earlier, a Yale Law School pro-
fessor, who has been serving part
time in the antitrust division of
the Justice Department, described
Congress as model To- machine
that is unable to compete with the
complications of modern society and
the motley" growth in the execu-
tive departments.
Testifying before the joint COM
mittee, Prof. Walton Hamilton de-
clared Representative government
was at stake" that a wedge had
been driven between the exercise of
power by host Of Official agencies
and its popular source.
Laments Loss of Control.
I'm downright fact" he said,
public affairs are administered by
host Of departments, commissions,
authorities, corporations and boards,
each acting more or less for itself
and all operating with only the
most casual oversight by Congress. u
For Congress to tune itself up to
be able to meet modern problems
he advised, it will be necessary TO,
1t to strengthen its operations ir
three distinct fields: The power te
legislate, the power to inquire anc
the power to publish it's findings
All are flexible enough to withstand
change and all hold possibilities not
yet given their change, he said.
To enable Congress to do an effec.
tive job in overseeing the work oi
the administrative agencies, he said
the congressional committee system
must be completely overhauled. ,
He recommended that in order ts
get new blood, fresh ideas and ex.
perience won in other fields" into
the committees, Congress shoulc
not permit any member to serve or
committee longer than six years.
Check on Executives Urged.
| Another recommendation was tha
Congress provide itself with an ade.
quate and qualified staff so that it.
committees can keep a continue
check on the work of executive
agencies.
Prof. Hamilton rejected sugges.
tions that the United States turn te
something in the nature of English
parliamentary system, saying that
the foreign model will not work
here.
No person, clique, interest or Sec
ton was to blame for the present
situation, he said.
The New Deal and war have given
impetus and volume to the change
he said, but rather than being sole
ly responsible, they have done nc
more than to accelerate a trend that
was long In the making. The clash
between the executive department
and Congress, he added, has been
exaggerated.