Evening star., 1951-03-02


prove legislative procedures and
committee activities.
One of the issues in the forth
coming investigation of investiga-
tions is the creation of special
committees to carry on inquiries
that many legislators feel should
be done by standing committees.
Representative Holifield, Demo-
crat, of California. whose sub
committee of the House Commit
tee on Expenditures in Executive
Departments is making the Re-
organization Act study. explained:
I'VE want to bring out ways
and means of strengthening the
investigative processes and see
ing that investigative procedures
are not abused"
Opposes Unfair Techniques.
BY abuse, he said he meant un-
fair Investigations and the use of
unfair teehniques-"the smearing
of individuals. by improper con-
clusions and half baked releases. ;"
Senator O'Conor, Democrat. of
Maryland, who heads the Re-
organization Act Subcommittee of
the Senate Expenditures Com
mittee, said looking into Con-
gressional investigations is "very
definite objective" of his sub
committees study.
Senator O'Conor said his sub
committee wants to determine
the need. or lack of need, for
Investigations outside the stand
ing committees.
Working for both subcommlt-
tees is DR.. George B. Galloway.
who was staff director of the
Joint Committee on the Organ
ization of the Congress - the
LaFollette Monroney committee
that wrote the Legislative Re-
organization Act.
That committee, in its final
report, recommended that the
policy of continuous watchful-
ness" over the executive agencies
should be. carried out by the
standing committees. This was
called Legislative oversight" The
committee also fatty recommend
ed that "the practice of creating
special committees of investigation
be abandoned"
Only Partial Success"
DIR. Galloway, in recent memo
randum to the Reorganization Act
subcommittee, said this feature
of the Reorganization Act "has
met with only partial success to
date" He referred as much to the
fact that some standing commit
tees are not checking up on the
administration of the laws as that
special committees still are being
created.
In the 80th Congress, DR.. Gallo
way noted, there were IL special
committees-siX in the House,
three in the Senate and three joint
ones. Nine special committees
were created during the 81st Con-
gress. The six in the House in
cluded small business, lobbying,
use of chemicals in food products,
campaign expenditures. fraud in
veterans education and House
roof and skylights. The three in
the Senate concerned small busi-
ness. organized crime and Senate
roof and skylights.
Opponents of special committees
contend they trespass on the juris-
diction of the standing commit
tees, whose responsibilities are so
fully spelled out in the Reorgani-
zation Act that they cover every
conceivable subject of legislative
interest. The opponents also con-
tend that special investigating
committees are time wasters, since
they have no authority to report
bills to correct the defects they
have exposed. AS result, If legis-
'lation does appear to be necessary,
a standing committee must 60
over the whole problem again.
Those in favor of special inves-
tigating committees say they give
younger men with zeal and energy
chance to expose corruption and
ineficiency. These younger leg
islators, they point out, are barred
by seniority rules from heading
the standing committees.
Headline Hunting Charged.
On the other hand, the argu-
ment persists that special inves-
legations frequently are pushed
by headline hunting legislators
who otherwise lack the prestige
of important committee posts.
r Here and Owe