Evening star., 1946-05-31
Bill 10 Modernize
Congress Asks Tight
Budget Controls
By Don S. Warren

Congress faces an Imminent
breakdown" of its obsolete legis-
lative machinery unless it is
rebuilt, the special La Toilette
Committee of the Senate de-
clared today in urging passage
of an omnibus bill to modernize
the congressional organization.
The bill, proposing a multitude of
changes in the Capitol Hill setup,
was drafted after more than a year
of study and exhaustive hearings.
The unanimous report filed today by
Senator La Toilette, Progressive, of
Wisconsin revived prospects that
Congress would do something to
improve its own household before
the approaching adjournment, de-
spite the backlog of other business.
Devised to handle the simpler
tasks of an earlier day." the report
declares, ''our legislative machinery
and procedures are by common con-
sent no longer competent to cope
satisfactorily with the grave and
complex problems of the postwar
world. They must be modernized
If we are to avoid an imminent
breakdown of the legislative branch
of the National Government"
Would HaIve Committees.
The report sharply criticizes the
present ''crazy quilt" committee pat
tern and proposes that this Jerry
hI1ilf Stry1afrIroe ha y,flnI
rebuilt along modern lines with but
16 instead of 33 standing commit
tees. {
Among other outstanding pro-
posalS are: Place stronger controls
over the "Swarms" of lobbyists,
establish rigid controls over appro-
priations and relate their totals to
anticipated revenues, place the ap-
pointment of legislative employees on
a merit system, provide each COM
mittee with enlarged stats of expert
workmen, give each member of Con-
gresS well-paid assistant to do all
the members messenger chores for
his constituents, so he can think of
legislative matters; increase con-
gressional pay from $4,000 to $4,000
and permit members, under certain
specifications, to buy their way into
the Federal retirement system.
Self-Rule for ID. C.
Self government for District resi-
dents was termed a reform long
overdue and one step toward re-
ducing the legislative work load of
Congress. The committees earlier
plan for a commission to draft a
self rule" charter, however, was
stricken from the bill because
similar measure, introduced by
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada has been reported favorably
by the Senate Judiciary Committee
and already is awaiting Senate ac-
ton.
One of the proposals calls for abo-
1ition of the fee system of paying
Capitol Building guides, as suggest
ed by The Star.
AS a matter of saving congress
sional time now spent on what the
committee regarded as other un-
necessary tasks, the bill WOULD elm
mate from congressional jurisdic-
ton all private claim bills-there
are a multitude of them-as we'll as
private pension bills and bridge
authorization bills. The private
claims, instead of cluttering up con-
gressional business, would be re-
ferred for court action and as to
bridge bills the La Toilette measure
grants the consent of Congress to
the construction of bridges over
navigable waters, subject to the ap-
proval of the Army chief of engi-
neers and the Secretary of War.
Time Lost in Chores.
On this subject, the report states:
"Congressmen are handicapped by
a host of routine chores for con-
stituents which they are glad to
perform but which leave them little
time for the adequate study of
national legislative problems. From
one-half to three fourths of the
time of the average member is con-
sumed with running errands and
knocking on departmental doors on
behalf of constituents"
In addition to providing each
member of Congress with an expert
assistant, the bill also provides for
the creation of a stenographic pool
to help congressional Offices with
their mail during busy seasons.
The report calculates the cost of
the extra pay and extra help pro-
posed in the bill and tabulates the