| Show i MAJORITY TOO Bm BIG DEMOCRATIC HOUSE LEADERS FIND FINO THEY HAVE UNWIELDY BODY TO CONTROL DEFECTIONS TO BE FEARED Underwood od Desires Solid Party Vote Voto but May Be Disappointed Though Defeat of Major Legislation Is Ia Not to Be Feared By GEORGE CLINTON Washington Congress Congress In the first hours of its extra session Is is in a majority majority majority ma ma- party sense rather an unwieldy body Speaker Clark looks from his fits rostrum into the faces of scores of members of his party sitting In the house bouse for the first time and Leader Oscar W. W Underwood probably regards regards regards re re- re- re gards with some little anxiety the task of keeping such an lowing In entire accord with all the legislative propositions for tor which the Democratic party now In power In all branches of the government must undertake un un- un the responsibility Mr Underwood Is not only chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the ways and means committee commit commit- tee but he Is also the Democratic floor leader It Is not at all to be wondered at that he fears the possibility possibility of trouble because of the enormous enormous enormous enor enor- majority which the party has lass in inthe inthe inthe the new house It has bas been recognized recognized by party leaders In representative tive assemblies ever since they came into existence that It is easier to put things through as the party wants them to go through when the ruling majority Is Just big enough to be easily handled It must be remembered that the Democratic leaders are confronted this year with three parties in opposition opposition tion the Republican party the Progressive Progressive Pro Pro- party and members of at the tho Republican party who call themselves Republicans progressive and who although although al al- al though clinging to their time old-time Ro- Ro In a party sense have repudiated repudiated re re- re- re many of the Republican doctrines doctrines doc doe trines but yet are are not willing to In full those of the Progressive party This puts a new fa factor tor Into the he problem problem problem lem of ot Democratic leadership for faT Mr Underwood must earn eara just where he heIs heIs heIs Is to look for support on the other side of ot the aisle if he fears that upon any great measure some of ot his own following may break away and desires desires de de- de sires to make up for tor It by going to some battalion in the ranks of his friend the enemy I Underwood Fears Defections It is said to be the fear of Mr Underwood Underwood Underwood Un Un- derwood that on some tariff matters matter and on some other minor matters t a apart part of ot his following may break away and refuse to be bound even by caucus caucus caucus cau cau- cus section No one me thinks Mr Underwood Underwood Un Un- derwood tears fears that enough party patty men will break away to endanger the passage passage pas pas- sage of anything of or prime Importance Import Import- ance aiice to the party but the leader Is anxious that everything that is done with major legislation shall shan be done with a solid party vote back of or it Very likely trouble will be avoided but the means of securing are not altogether to the liking It is said of the leader Already Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic members of at congress are making mak ing it plain to the members of at the ways and means moans committee that certain eel tam tain of the tariff schedules must be be made thus and so or else support will willbe willbe be lacking These demands do not t make It certain at all that the bill or bills bUls will be patched with compromIses compromises because Mr Wilson has bas taken a hand band with Underwood and Champ Clark and also with several of the tha themore themore more progressive Democratic members of at the house and arid Is using th trie force o or persuasion to get tariff legislation through which will not show any auy symptoms of at patchwork All the members of the lower house of congress now find themselves sitting sitting sitting sit sit- ting on benches as one of them said like a pack of school boys The house does not look as it did when it was in session only a month ago It bears som resemblance today to the house bouse of commons in so far faras faras faras as the matter of furniture Is cr corn corned ed at least but there is ono one point of superiority here the here the members members members mem mem- bers do not sit with their bats on There aro are many new members of or I congress and some of them are men whose past lives JIves have marked them out for special Interest There are some members who have served before before before be be- fore but have not been in the house for a period of years In a way yay these men are considered as new members because they have no rights of ot seniority seniority senior senior- ity in committee appointments s and nothing except a sentiment which attaches attaches attaches at at- atI I to previous service to give I Ithem them any reason to believe that they will be any better treated in the matter matter mat mat- ter of committees than their fellows who are serving for tor the first time When Representative Joseph W. W Keifer Republican of or Springfield 0 O- returned to congress some time ago after atter an absence of many years he was given a position on the great committee of appropriations The Ohioan had been out of service a along along along long time but once he be was the speak speaker er of tho the house and this singled him hint out for special consideration when he returned after a long absence and nd so it was that Mr Cannon then speaker pu put his predecessor In office and to a teat seat in the appropriations committee Committees Made With Care There are ho no men In this new now congress con con- gress who have hae a former record servIce servIce service ice like that of Mr Keifer but there iro tro some of or them who have bave followed ertain lines of endeavor which will nake nako them particularly qualified for I membership In certain committees j jand and these facts all have been taken 1 I into consideration It Is said that this J year a more conscientious attempt has bas been made than titan ever before to pick men for tor committees who will fit Ot the committees In oth other r words word men who know something about military mill mili tary affairs will find places In the committee of ot that name and men ofa ol of ola I a judicial temperament and training will have seats in Ih the room of or the judiciary committee and so on through the list This system applies of course only to the tho new members because most of the old members member go goback goback goback back to their old committees or receive re receive rte rte- promotion to moro more important ones as their past records give them claim to recognition The house of representatives has bas changed Its appearance The benches are there and new faces are there and with It the house bouse office building soon will change Its appearance This buildIng building build build- building ing of or white marble was constructed only six years ago It stands south southeast southeast south east of the capitol building and only a block away It was built bunt In order to give every member of congress a private private vate ofil office cc Office Building Too Small It was supposed that this building which Is a huge buge affair would be big enough to accommodate the members of congress for a long time It Is only six years old and It Is full to over over- flowing Many of the new members of congress have been given offices In a rented building at the expense of the government However the house bouse office building is to have bave another story added to it and work already has bas begun It may be that the house bouse of representatives representatives representatives never will VIII have bave a larger membership than It has bas today but If the membership Is not to grow each member in the future must represent a much larger constituency The Country country country coun coun- try will Increase rapidly in population and so as time goes on if the house bouse Is Isto Isto isto to be kept at its present strength one man will represent many more more- thousands thousands thou thou- sands of or constituents than he represents e se seats ts today With the beginning of the tariff session session ses ses- sion the eyes of ot the gentleman known throughout the country as the ultimate ultimate ulti ulti- mate consumer turn toward Washington Washing ton unquestionably with the light of hope in them that as a result of the legislation which congress will pass before adjournment there may be lifted lift ed from the shoulders of the country a part of the burden of the high cost of ot living The Democratic leaders here bere say there Is a direct connection between high tariff and the high cost of things Th The Republicans deny this and in Ia part the Progressives de deny It It and It will take some months of trial I of a new tariff law with reduced customs customs customs cus cus- toms rates to determine whether or not living prices will vili go down in keepIng keep keep- Ing with the downward revision of the schedules Many of the Republicans are d declaring clarIng clar- clar Ing that It is possible even probable that the cost of some necessary articles articles ar ar- tides will go down If the rates of duty on them but they add that wages will go down with them and will go godown godown godown down disproportionately so that even If a man can buy something for a less sum he will wm have less cash In his pockets as a balance on Saturday night than Is the case today What Democrats Have Promised The Democratic party made a campaign cam campaign point of tb the high cost of at clothing cloth ing food house bouse rent and other things and It has bas promised through Its speakers speak speak- ers era that It will set things to rights and it also Inferentially has bas promised that the wage earner and the salaried man under the new tariff bill will get from a third to a half balt more for their money They are about to start debato debate on consideration of the tariff In the house of or representatives The members of the Republican minority will stand standon on their feet to say that there Is no chance the Democrats can make good their promise on anything approachIng approach approach- Ing the scale of ot magnificence with which It was set Bet forth but the tho Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican members say that it Is an alluring promise and that every man manIn manin In hi the country particularly the one of or small means hopes that It Is is' to be bo made good Probable Effect on Farmers If the tariff measures as the they ther have been prepared go through it Is probable probable probable able that the farmer will be able to buy many things much more cheaply than he be can buy them today As an offset however he may have to accept lower prices for tor some of his own products The attempt of or the Democrats Demo Democrats has been to balance things as aswell aswell well as they can and their hope is that the cost of or living will go down and that wages will vili not be decreased or at least not to any material degree It Is probable that before the extra session ends and the tho schedules finally are adjusted on a new now basis there will be heard In congress some of at the most Interesting speeches ever delivered ered on the tariff problem and when this is said d due e attention is 15 paid to the fact that a good many Interesting things have bave been said in congress about this subject which has been in legislative halls hails a thrifty perennial For a long long time the high C cost l t of or living matter was said ald to belong belon wholly to the tho field of economics Certainly Cera it has bas passed from thence into inton a n field of politics It is said today In Washington that unless something Is done to prove to the people that that party part legislation can bring down the tile cost of living they will wUl take the matter Into their own hands and will Insist that before another tariff bill Is passed by any party it shall be prepared by a commission of business men who have made a study of conditions without any regard to the effect of their findIngs findings find find- ings fags on tho the future of any political party party party par par- ty no matter by what name It may be ba bec c called |
