Evening star., 1951-03-19
Meader Doubts Value
OF Investigations by
Standing Committees
By Miriom Ottenberq

By Miriam Gutenberg
Representative Meader, Repub.
lican, of Michigan, charged to.
day that congressional lawmakine
committees are reluctant to in.
Ivestigate Government operations
because they don't want to hurt
their friends.
Counsel for two Senate investi-
eating committees before he came
into the House himself, Mr.
Meader said he believed there
should be a full-scale investiga-
ton before Congress passes law
and continuing penetrating OBJ
servation" of the laws after they
are passed.
He expressed his doubts, how
ever. about Investigations by
standing congressional commit
tees, although under the Legisla-
tive Reorganization Act they are
authorized to investigate any
matters affecting the departments
under their jurisdiction.
Points To Seniority System.
BY the time a Member of Con-
gress gets to be chairman or rank
ing member of a legislative COM
mittee. he argued, he has been in
Congress for 20 or 80 years. In
that time. he said, the Senator or
Representative has gone on jun
kets with representatives of Gov
eminent agencies, attended recep-
Itions and generally entered into a
friendly social basis with impor-
tant officials in the departments
under the jurisdiction of his COM
mittee.
While standing committees
theoretically should investigate, ="
Mr.. Meader declared. they don't
have the heart to do it. They
don't like to be unfriendly to their
friends.
"On the other hand, investi-
eating committees don't have
these ties which might not be i'm
proper but might dampen ardor
and vigor in going into a subject
in penetrating fashion"
Mr.. Meader called for strength
Iening the staffs of investigating
committees on the ground that
only through Investigations could
Congress regain the legislative
powers 1t has lost over the past
few decades.
Outlines Reason.
The new legislator gave these
reasons for believing the laws are
being made elsewhere than at the
Capitol:
l. Congress creates commissions
with broad rule making powers
which. in effect, are laws.
2. Bills are drafted by experts
in the executive departments "in
such technical terms that Con-
'gress can't even amend them in
telligently."
8. Legislative committees pas
sively receive what is handed to
them without penetrating to get
lat the facts"
4. Experts from the executive
agencies are loaned to congress
sional committees and carry the
viewpoint of their agencies with
them.
Protests Reorganization Acts.
Mr.. Meader also protested that
the Reorganization Acts take leg
islatiVe powers out of the hands
Iof Congress. He protested against
the one reorganiZing the RFC on
the House floor last week.
On the score of experts loaned to
congressional committees, he cited
Vincent A. Kleinfeld, chief counsel
of the select House committee to
investigate the use of chemicals in
food products. He identified Mr..
Kleinfeld as the counsel who pros
ecutes food and drug violations for
the Justice Department and SAID
he did not think it was possible
for Mr.. K1einfeld to change mis-
philosophy and approach. AS a
result, he said, whatever results
from this Investigation will be
permeated with the philosophy
and objections of an executive
agency and not the independent
views of Congress.
Mr.. Meader also complained
that the House Executive Expendi-
lures Committee acted on the RFC
reorganization act at two sessions,
lasting a total of five hours. He
said no advance staff preparation
was evident at the hearings and
the only opposition witness was
called at his suggestion. He said
he did not consider that an ade-
quate amount of investigation.
when Congress has an init
mate and detailed knowledge of a
subject" he said, ut can write laws
in palmer and more specific terms
which will prevent their later dis
tortion."
"If the people don't like the
policy set by Congress-" he added,
they can throw out the Congress-
men. They can't throw out a
Government department