Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-12-28
Mundt, Nixon Urge
Heavier Penalty for
Contempt Of Congress
BY Robert K. Walsh

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than one year in prison and a
$1,000 fine, two members of the
House Committee on Un-Amer-
lean Activities declared today in
a proposed plan for fairer, more
effective hearings.
Acting Chairman Mundt and Rep
resentative Nixon, Republican, Of
California, outlined their thinking"
on the need for a formal code to
govern activities of the subcommit-
tee as we'll as the full committee.
All except one of the nine specific
suggestions were offered for adop-
ton by the House committee when
1t "reorganizes itself in the Eighty
first Congress and prepares for the
highly significant tasks ahead"
The recommendation for stricter
court sentences for persons convicted
of contempt of Congress was made
to the incoming Congress and would
concern all committees.
The Need Of Information.
"Our whole legislative process
rests upon the right and the power
of duly established committees Of
Congress to secure the information
required to legislate in the public
welfare. Those who demonstrate a
contemptuous attitude toward the
machinery of Government and who
are convicted of such contempt
charges should be severity and ap-
propriately punished" the Joint
statement declared.
The eight other proposals are steps
Mr.. Mundt and Mr.. Nixon believe
the House committee should take
to reform itself or to formalize
methods which generally have been
followed for some time in the past.
These deal principally with ques-
tioning witnesses, rights of accused
persons. scope of open and closed
meetings. nonpublication of certain
types of material. issuance OF re-
ports, and ways to improve
"decorum."
These proposals encountered sharp
criticism today from Representative
Rankin, Mississippi Democrat. who
may have a major role when Demo-
Gratis assume control OF the commit
tee in the new Congress.
Describing them as utterly silly,
Mr.. Rankin called the suggested
changes impractical. He added that
COMMITTEES themselves just don't
make their own rules" but follow
House rules.
His comment pointed up earlier
reports that Mr. Mundt and Mr..
Nixon tried unsuccessfully to have
the proposed code sponsored by the
committee. Mr.. Rankin and Rep
resentative Mcdowell, Republican,
of Pennsylvania repeatedly voted
against doing this. Mr.. Mcdowell
said that as a member who will
not be in the Eighty-first Congress
he believed the old committee
should not tell the new commit
tee what to do.
The Mundt-Nixon recommends
tons were: -
/. In both public and executive.
sessions of the committee. witnesses
should be permitted to have counsel
when they so desire.
2. Subcommittee reports should
not be made public until the sub
committee report has been consld-
cred and approved by a majority
vote of the full committee.
8. Executive sessions should pre-
cede all open sessions to determine
whether witnesses are willing to-
answer direct and pertinent ques-
tons or whether they propose to
defeat the committees purposes by
pleading self determination or de-
tying the committees authority.
Such executive sessions should also
seek to determine in advance any
new names likely to be mentioned
by witnesses, to the end that such
names be not made public except by
committee action in those cases
where the public interest requires.
4. Individuals who have been &C
cused in open hearings by witnesses,
at their request should be given an
opportunity to testify before the
committee. When requested. they
should be served with subpoenas
which will permit the committee to
defray their expenses in coming to
testify.
Would Permit Questions.
S. Accused persons themselves. or
through their counsel, should be
permitted to ask reasonable num-
Der Of pertinent questions by sub
hitting these questions to the chair
man of rhe committee and having
the questions asked by the chairman
or committee counsel.
6. Witnesses who appear before
the committee and answer pertinent
questions candidly and directly
should be given the opportunity to
make q written or oral statement in
their own behalf at the conclusion
Of the hearings.
7. It was recommended that the
committee next year take under
advisement the feasibility and de-
STABILITY of excluding certain types
of information media from open
hearings. 1t was suggested that
expert counsel selected from among
! the recognized publicity media be
i consulted in the determination Of
this issue
! 8. To facilitate the work Of the
COMMITTEE and the procurement of
.public information, it was recon-
smended that Congress pass legisla-
ttion increasing substantially the
1penalty for those convicted of con-
tempt Of Congress.
Provides Record for Witness.
. o. An accurate stenographic rec
.ord Of any public hearing or execu-
tive hearing that is made public
sshould be made available to a wit
mess or his counsel when requested.
! While noting that perhaps a few
snew prevailing policies should be
added" the joint statement did not
srefer to earlier proposals elsewhere
that majority vote of the full COM
smittee be required for issuance of
ssubpoenas and secret sessions and
that at least two members be present
kat subcommittee questioning of wit