Evening star., 1946-01-20


islative dragon to put
aside its bashfulness, its timidity and
some, at least, of its dancing to tradi-
ton, and to spit out enough fire so it
can assert itself as the coequal of the
powerful executive branch.
Only by spending some money on it
self-but not so much, at that-amount-
ing to less than cent per month per
taxpayer-only by tearing itself loose
from some of the time -honored tradi-
ton, advocates of reform hold, can Con-
gress really modernize its structure and
system.
Congress will be told, if present plans
carry, that it is not only out of date
but that it has entirely too many COM
mittees. many with overlapping func-
tions; that these are not in line
with the present executive department
structure, that Congress has been mig
gardly in meeting its own requirements,
especially as to pay and clerical and
expert help, and that it has been clutter
ing up its program with too many de-
tails T.; should leave to others.
Reform advocates inside Congress,
with the solid support from many out
side groups, seek to persuade the House
and Senate to provide the needed tools,
the expert help, larger STATS for men,
drastically reduced committee system.
They urge modification of the iron
clad seniority rule, lesSening of the
power of the House Rules Committee
and many other changes.
Without many of these, they contend,
Congress cannot keep pace with complex
modern problems or maintain necessary
control over the colossal executive
branch.
More than 100 proposals for reform
have been introduced in Congress in
recent years, by Democrats and Re-
publicans alike. But Congress is not
easily convinced as to reforming itself,
SO powerful is the faith in systems that
worked we'll in the past; so over
whelming is the fear of what the con-
stituents might think. And this recalls
that all 435 Representatives and one
third of the 96 Senators face election
campaigns this fall. Inertia also plays
an important role.
Oppose Pay Increase.
For instance, though Congress has had
no increase in pay for 81 years, despite
greatly increased duties and rising costs
of living, the Senate last year three
times refused pay increase proposals and
the House went only so far as to grant
its members $4,000 extra expense
allowance And 81 House members
declined to accept that because of the
indirect method adopted. Yet all
students apparently are agreed that
under no circumstances should Congress
be permitted to become rich mans
club" to which none but wealthy
person could afford to belong.
Hope that the time now is at hand
when Congress can be persuaded is
based on the fact the La Toilette
Monroney report really is the crys-
tallization of studies that have been
going on since the late 1930s and that
influential civic groups, such as the
3>opAo1Adt Adi4AAl6 1aooOSAou1Oil, esAiea
others, have put their weight behind
the movement. Leaders of business,
labor and farm groups have Endorsed
programs for strengthening Congress.
A searching inquiry into the gaps and
blockades in the present setup was con-
Quoted during the past II months by
the joint committee, under the leader
ship of Senator La Toilette, Progressive,
of Wisconsin, chairman, and Represent
ative Monroney, Democrat, of Oklahoma,
vice chairman. These two constituted
the subcommittee that has drafted the
fortnight program.
The group compiled more than
half million words of testimony on
present faults and possible solutions.
More than 100 witnesses were heard,
many of them outstanding students of
political science and administrative,
legislative and business procedure. In
the witness list were As members of