Evening star., 1948-12-30
Leaders Reach
Accord on Curb
On Rules Group
Code to Protect
Probe Witnesses
Also Agreed On

The House Democratic leader
ship was reported today to have
agreed tentatively to clip the
powers of the Rules Committee
to "pigeonhole" legislation.
The committee has used that
power in the past to sidetrack some
labor and civil rights bills. The
purpose in chopping down its powers
would be to ease the way for action
on such measures
Democratic leaders talked over
prospects for the new congressional
session at a conference in the office
of Representative Rayburn, Demo-
crat, of Texas who will become
House Speaker.
When it broke up. Representative
SABBATH, Democrat. of Illinois, who is
scheduled to head the Rules Com
mittee, told reporters he expects the
new House will:
l. Change its rules so as to take
some power from the Rules Com
mittee
2. Appoint committee to recon-
mend code of fair treatment" for
witnesses before congressional COM
mitteeS.
Code for All Committees.
The idea would be, Mr.. SABBATH
said, to protect the rights" of citi-
zens called before committees. Such
code should apply to all COM
mites, not just the Committee on
Un-American Activities, he added.
Mr.. SABBATH said he will offer an
amendment to House rules to pro-
vide that a bill can be taken from
the committee anytime 100 or
maybe it will be 150' House men,
bers sign petition to bring the bill
to the House floor for a vote.
This. Mr.. SABBATH said, would pre-
vent the committee from bottling
up labor and civil rights bills
such as fair employment practices,
antilynch and antipol tax.
One function of the Rules Com
mlttee is to decide which bills are to
be sent to the House floor and to
recommend procedure for floor con.
sideration. Some New Deal-minded
legislators contend that Republicans
and Southern Democrats on the
group have teamed to make it a
citadel of conservatism.
Says Laws Benefit South.
Mr.. SABBATH, alluding to that view
of the committees complexion, said
he has been assured he is going to-
get some additional Democrats on
the Rules Committee that are 60
ing to be all right"
These Southern gentlemen didn't
realize the advantage of labor legis-
lation." he said THE South now is
in better condition because of this
labor legislation
Under Mr.. Sabath's plan for
amending the rules, a bill could be
taken from the Rules Committee on
a petition from 100 to $50 House
members only if the petition was
filed by the chairman of legislative
committee which had approved the
bill
At present, a petition must be
SiSllSN NY @4o hIC1IDSL ID lIidJ dJOIlIy
of the House-to take a measure
from the Rules Committee.
Mr.. Sabath's plan would keep the
2l8 signatures as the requirement
for taking a bill from a legislative
committee.
Martin Issues Warning.
Meanwhile. House Speaker Martin
warned that if the Democrats try to
curb the Rules Committees powers.
the Republicans will have some
changes of their own to propose.
Mr.. Martin indicated that the
Republicans would try to amend the
SABBATH plan to let $50 signatures
release bill, regardless of who
originates the petition. In any
floor fight over rules, the Repub-
licans would need the support o.
some of the Southern Democrats to
win. Therein lies the danger to the
administration. however, of seeking
ISeo PHI nc po0n Al