Form Q-12
Satlfeag luHtttfHH AHHOtiatia«
Bulletin to Members
THE WAR ON PROPERTY
To Members :
Realization grows that
the country faces a situation
similar to that in the 'nineties,
when men of both parties and
an aroused stay-at-home vote united to
preserve the gold standard. The dif¬
ference is that attacks are now aimed
not at the exchange medium but at
the institution of property itself. Led
by men whose avowed purpose if
accomplished would have the effect of
confiscation, the movement has the
powerful aid of others who do not see
the broader consequences.
Railroads are the first line of assault.
Prominent again now are those who
pressed the "Plumb plan" for opera¬
tion of the railroads by the employees,
with profits to them and with no
definite provision for meeting losses.
Consider the radicals' program :
POOR SERVICE WOULD AID THEIR
AIM
Some of them would repeal the
Transportation Act, 1920, which directs
the Interstate Commerce Commission
to permit rates designed to give every
railroad an opportunity to earn, if it
can, an income sufficient to attract
capital for adequate enlargement of
facilities. Why would "Plumb
plan" advocates repeal that provision ?
Because under it the railroads could
give satisfactory service, which will
dispose the public against seizure, and
because under it the railroads are
valued at a figure larger than the par
of their outstanding securities, which
sustains at a prohibitive figure the
compensation the government would
have to pay if it bought them.
Most of them urge reduction in
freight rates without corresponding
reduction in operating cost. This
demand comes only in part from ship¬
pers who do not realize that they are
being used as shock troops by the con¬
fiscation captains. A large and in¬
creasing part of the shippers under¬
stand that what they and the railways
need is more and better facilities, not
more disturbance. The shouting for
rate reduction is loudest in quarters
where there is open advocacy of
government seizure. Rate reduction
without reduced operating cost means
poor service. Poor service means an
angry public, ready for government
ownership.
RUN OFF WITH THE PROPERTY,
THEN DESTROY THE COURTS
To scale down the price which the
government would have to pay, two
chief measures are put forward. The
first is to have Congress declare a
valuation of railway property not ex¬
ceeding the average stock market quo¬
tations for the securities during the
period throughout which the govern¬
ment itself was regulating rates
downward until it starved the roads
of income and the shippers of facili¬
ties. The other is to destroy the pro¬
tection now afforded by the courts
against capricious popular or bloc at¬
tempts at confiscation ; the proposal is
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freeSÍprp; oí •/.Cbnjress from court
revieW'äS' eb-coHsfcitútionality—in other
words to scrap the Constitution and
substitute temporary organized agita¬
tion as the basis of policy.
Already the general citizenship feels
afflictions premonitory of what will
come if the railways are disposed of
as these radicals desire.
Taxation is imposed not alone for
revenue but for levelling fortunes.
Every farmer, manufacturer or
mine operator and hence every con¬
sumer of farm, mill or mine products
is paying a labor cost that has been
raised by government action affecting
it directly or indirectly and kept up by
a shortage of labor supply—which the
immigration law aggravates.
In all these ways property is under¬
mined.
WORKING UNITS IN CONGRESS
Do you know how Congress forms
standing committees which virtually
frame the laws we live under? Few
business men do. The appended sketch
of that task for the next Congress is
commended to your careful perusal.
The Railway Business Association is doing and will do its utmost:
1 To prevent any early amendments of the Transportation Act.
2 To obtain a reduction in the income surtax rates.
3 To obtain immediate amendment of the immigration law providing
that while maintaining the tests of individual qualification the national
quotas admitted shall be net after deducting emigration and temporarily
may be enlarged in administrative discretion when the economic need is
demonstrated.
The Railway Business Association is the only business organization con¬
centrating upon the problem of railway income and adequacy of facilities.
This is YOUR BATTLE. For effective performance, your officers depend
upon a steadfast continuance of the zealous cooperation which the
membership is giving.
ALBA B. JOHNSON, President
FRANK W. NOXON, Secretary
Liberty Building
Philadelphia
Dec. 29, 1922
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How Congress Forms Its Standing Committees
STANDING COMMITTEES of
Congress are to a large extent
agencies of federal legislation.
Their affirmative recommendations are
usually adopted and are always highly
influential with the Senate and House
as a whole, each of whose members
is necessarily limited to familiarity
with only a few subjects. Still more
powerful than the affirmative recom¬
mendation from a standing committee
is its abstinence from reporting a bill.
No committee of either branch has
ever been discharged by that branch
from consideration of a measure and
the measure brought out upon the floor
without a committee report.
For the next Congress the process
of forming the standing committees is
already under way, though the per¬
sonnel will remain substantially the
same during the life of the present
Congress — until March 4, 1923.
Thereafter the majority and the mi¬
nority in each branch will set up party
organizations to create and from time
to time modify standing committees,
such for instance as those in which we
are interested:—
DEALING WITH RAILROADS
Senate Conunittee on Interstate
Commerce.
House Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce.
DEALING WITH IMMIGRATION
Senate Committee on Immigration.
House Committee on Immigration
and Naturalization.
DEALING WITH INCOME SURTAX
RATES
Senate Finance Comndttee.
House Ways and Meiuis Conunit¬
tee.
Formally and legally under Senate
and House rules the standing com¬
mittees are elected by the respective
bodies as an official function; but this
is a mere ratification. In fact the com¬
mittees are constructed unofficially by
the parties. Party caucuses or "con¬
ferences" are held before the new
Congress is to convene—sometimes
meeting several weeks ahead and com¬
pleting their work of organization
before the first session.
COMMITTEES ON COMMITTEES
The senate majority
choose a Committee on Commit¬
tees, at present nine, with a Chairman
(now Senator Brandegee of Con¬
necticut) other than the Floor Leader
(now Senator Lodge of Massa¬
chusetts). The Senate Minority has a
Steering Committee, at present 10,
the Chairman of which is the Minority
Floor Leader (now Senator Under¬
wood of Alabama, who has announced
that he will relinquish the leadership).
These two party committees name
their respective quotas on the standing
committees. In the House, the
Majority Committee on Committees
contains one from each State where
the Majority party has one Congress¬
man or more ; each member having as
many votes as there are Congressmen
of his party from his State. The Floor
Leader is ex officio Chairman of this
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committee (the present incumbent.
Congressman Mondell of Wyoming,
retiring March 4). The late James
R. Mann of Illinois, who when Mr.
Mondell was absent served as chair¬
man during the last two Congresses,
has not been replaced as this is written.
The Minority quota of the standing
committees is named by the Minority
members of the Committee on Ways
and Means headed by the Minority
Floor Leader (now Mr. Kitchin of
North Carolina, who is expected to
relinquish the leadership). One of the
first acts of the Minority Caucus is to
name the Ways and Means members,
who nominate the Floor Leader to the
full caucus and the Minority quotas on
standing committees to the Majority
Committee on Committees.
The proportion of the par¬
ties in the standing committees is
fixed by the Majority party, which
usually moderates its appetite for
present advantage by its apprehension
of what the opposition may inflict
when party control shifts. "Look
what you did to us !" is regarded as a
satisfactory defense.
As a typical illustration, take Inter¬
state Commerce. The last Democratic
Senate, in the 65th Congress, had 51
Democratic Senators, who took on
that committee 10 of the 17 places.
In the present Congress the size of
committees was limited to 16 and the
Republicans with 59 Senators occupy
10 places. In the 68th Congress the
Republicans will have 52 Senators. On
Interstate Commerce they will have
six vacancies to fill arising from
retirement of four Republicans,
Townsend, Poindexter, Kellogg and
Frelinghuysen, and two Democrats,
Pomerene and Myers. To approxi¬
mate what the Democrats did in the
65th Congress and leave the limit,
if they do, at 16 the Republicans
could make it 9 to 7, bringing into the
committee three Republicans and three
Democrats, or 10 to 6, bringing in four
Republicans and two Democrats.
Some think the pressure of Demo¬
crats for places and the reluctanee of
Republicans to relinquish any will
avail to restore 17 as the limit. In that
case the 10 to 7 ratio could if desired
be restored and the recruits could be
four Republicans and three Democrats.
The last Democratic House in the
65th Congress started with 212 Demo¬
crats, 213 Republicans, and seven mis¬
cellaneous, enough of whom acted
with the Democrats to organize the
House Democratic. The present
House has 298 Republicans, or 68%.
The Committee has 15 Majority and
six Minority. The 68th Congress will
have 223 Republicans, or 51.2%. Re¬
tirement of four Republicans, Sweet,
Stiness, Jones and Burroughs, and one
Democrat, Johnson, creates five places
to fill. If the Republicans with 51.2%
apply the ratio used by the Democrats
in the 65th Congress, 12 to 9, this
would fill the five places with four
Democrats and one Republican.
ELIGIBLES
For Senate committee vacancies
new Senators are available, and
sometimes go at once on more than
one "major committee." The Senate
"major committees" are Agriculture
and Forestry, Appropriations, Bank¬
ing and Currency, Commerce, Finance,
Foreign Relations, Interstate Com¬
merce, Judiciary, Military Affairs,
Naval Affairs, Postoffices and Post-
roads. It is proposed that in future
no Senator shall serve on more than
two major committees at once. For
the impending vacancies some expe¬
rienced Senators are available serving
now on only one major committee.
The House major committees are
Ways and Means, Appropriations,
Judiciary, Interstate and Foreign
Commerce, Rivers and Harbors,
Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Military
Affairs, Naval Affairs, Postoffices
and Postroads. In the House no
member serves at the same time on
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two major committees. Promotion to
major committees is from a minor
committee. New Representatives
seldom are appointed to major com¬
mittees. An exception in the present
Congress is Congressman Harry B.
Hawes of St. Louis on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce.
SENIORITY
CHAIRMANSHIPS are attained
by seniority. Discontent with
that system is perennial. But whatever
its faults, the system is strongly en¬
trenched. Nobody has proposed an ac¬
ceptable substitute ; some insurgents
against seniority appointed at the foot
of committees by Speaker Cannon
under the former regime ultimately by
seniority achieved chairmanships and
became converted to the system. More
than one veteran observer analyzing
the roster has confessed the impres¬
sion that no other system would pro¬
duce as fit a set of chairmen as those
we have. In any event nobody seems
seriously to expect an early change.
Of the committees which concern this
report, the Chairmen retiring are Sen¬
ator McCumber of Senate Finance,
to be succeeded by Senator Smoot
of Utah, and Congressman Fordney
of House Ways and Means, to be suc¬
ceeded by the Hon. W. R. Green
of Council Bluffs, Iowa. In the party
organizations seniority is much less of
a factor. Senator Underwood's suc¬
cessor as Minority Floor Leader will be
elected by the Minority Conference;
Representative Mondell's as House
Majority Floor Leader will either be
nominated by the Committee on Com¬
mittees and elected by the Majority in
Conference, or nominated directly in
the Conference; Representative
Kitchin's as House Minority Floor
Leader will be elected by the Minority
Caucus. a "caucus" binds the par¬
ticipants ; a "conference" does not.
The Republicans have no binding
caucus whether in power or not.
CANDIDACY
Requests for places upon
. standing committees are usually
filed by candidates with tfie respective
party leaders, backed by such influence
as the candidate may command from
other members of Congress, from
other political actives and from citi¬
zens brought to bear upon the leaders
and also upon the chairmen and mem¬
bers of party Committees on Commit¬
tees, who attend and participate with
special fidelity.
Taking no chances on the possible
avoidance of an extra session before
December and acting as if they were
sure the party conferences and cau¬
cuses would organize in the spring,
candidates and their sponsors are now
active.
Standing Committees
senate committee on interstate commerce
REPUBLICANS
Albert B. Cummins, Iowa, Chairman
Chas. E. Townsend, Mich, (retires)
Robert M. LaFoIIette, Wis.
Miles Poindexter, Wash, (retires)
Geo. P. McLean, Conn.
James E. Watson, Ind.
Frank B. Kellogg, Minn, (retires)
Bert M. Fernald, Me.
Joseph S. Frelinghuysen, N. J. (retires)
Davis Elkins, W. Va.
Note : Since the Republicans with 59 Senators have now 10 places on the Committee
—the same as the Democrats had in the last Congress organized by them with only 51
DEMOCRATS
Ellison D. Smith, S. C.
Atlee Pomerene, Ohio (retires)
Henry L. Myers, Mont, (retires)
Oscar W. Underwood, Ala.
Augustus O. Stanley, Ky.
Key Pittman, Nev.
Senators—and the Republicans will have 52 Senators in the 68th Congress, no reduction
is expected in the Republican quota; but the present Congress reduced the total of the
Committee from 17 to 16 and it is uncertain whether 17 will be restored. This would
give four Republican acquisitions, two Democratic, if the limit of 16 is retained; three
Democratic if 17 is restored.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN
COMMERCE
REPUBLICANS DEMOCRATS
Samuel E. Winslow, Mass., Chairman Alben W. Barkley, Ky.
James S. Parker, N. Y. Sam Rayburn, Tex.
Burton E. Sweet, Iowa (retires) George Huddleston, Ala.
Walter R. Stiness, R. I. (retires) Clarence F. Lea, Calif.
John G. Cooper, Ohio Paul B. Johnson, Miss, (retires)
Edward E. Denison, 111. Harry B. Hawes, Mo.
Everett Sanders, Ind.
Schuyler Merritt, Conn.
J. Stanley Webster, Wash.
Evan J. Jones, Pa. (retires)
Carl E. Mapes, Mich.
William J. Graham, 111.
Sherman E. Burroughs, N. H. (retires)
Walter H. Newton, Minn.
Homer Hoch, Kas.
Note: If the Republicans with 51.2% of the House apply the ratio used by the Demo¬
crats in the 65th Congress when, organizing by coalition, they applied the ratio of 12
to 9, there would be one Republican acquisition and four Democratic.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION
REPUBLICANS DEMOCRATS
LeBaron B. Colt, R. I., Chairman William H. King, Utah
William P. Dillingham, Vt. William J. Harris, Ga.
Thomas Sterling, S. D. Pat Harrison, Miss.
Hiram W. Johnson, Calif. Walter F. George, Ga.
Henry W. Keyes, N. H.
Frank B. Willis, Ohio
David A. Reed, Pa.
Note : All these Senators continue to serve in the 68th Congress.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION
REPUBLICANS DEMOCRATS
Albert Johnson, Wash., Chairman Adolph J. Sabath, 111.
Isaac Siegel, N. Y. (retires) John E. Raker, Calif.
J. Will Taylor, Tenn. Riley J. Wilson, La.
John C. Kleczka, Wis. (retires) John C. Box, Tex.
William N. Vaile, Colo. Lilius B. Rainey, Ala. (retires)
Hays B. White, Kas.
Guy L. Shaw, 111. (retires)
Robert S. Maloney, Mass. (retires)
Arthur M. Free, Calif.
John L. Cable, Ohio
Note: If the Republicans adopt the ratio last applied when the Democrats organized
the House, 9 to 6, there will be three Republican acquisitions and two Democrats.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
REPUBLICANS
DEMOCRATS
Porter J. McCumber, N. D., Chairman Furnifold McL. Simmons, N. C.
John Sharp Williams, Miss, (retires)
Andrieus A. Jones, N. M.
Peter G. Gerry, R. I.
James A. Reed, Mo.
David I. Walsh, Mass.
(retires)
Reed Smoot, Utah
Robert M. LaEollette, Wis.
William P. Dillingham, Vt.
Geo. P. McLean, Conn.
Charles Curtis, Kas.
James E. Watson, Ind.
Wm. M. Calder, N. Y. (retires)
Howard Sutherland, W. Va. (retires)
Joseph S. Frelinghuysen, N. J. (retires)
Note : Since the Republicans with 59 Senators have now 10 places on this Committee,
the same as the Democrats had in the last Congress organized by them with only 51 Sena¬
tors—and the Republicans will have 52 in the 68th Congress—no reduction is expected in
the Republican quota, which would work out acquisition of four Republicans and one
Democrat; or two Democrats if the limit is restored to 17.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS
DEMOCRATS
(These members serve as the Minority
Committee on Committees.)
Claude Kitchin, N. C.
John B. Garner, Tex.
James W. Collier, Miss.
William A. Oldfield, Ark.
Chas. R. Crisp, Ga.
John F, Carew, N. Y.
Whitmell P. Martin, La.
Peter F. Tague, Mass.
REPUBLICANS
Joseph W. Fordney, Mich., Chairman (re¬
tires)
William R. Green, Iowa
Nicholas Longworth, Jr., Ohio
Willis C. Hawley, Ore.
Allen T. Treadway, Mass.
Ira C. Copley, 111. (retires)
Luther W. Mott, N. Y.
George M. Young, N. D.
James A. Frear, Wis.
John Q. Tilson, Conn.
Isaac Bacharach, N. J.
Lindley H. Hadley, Wash.
Charles B. Timberlake, Colo.
George M. Bowers, W. Va. (retires)
Henry W. Watson, Pa.
Thomas A. Chandler, Okla. (retires)
Ogden L. Mills, N. Y.
Note : With a Committee of 23 in the last House organized by the Democrats—the
65th Congress—they took 13 places or 56.5%. Since then the Committee has been in¬
creased to 25, of which 56% would be 14. The Republicans with 59 Senators have now
17 places on this Committee, of whom four retire, while no Democrats retire. If the Re¬
publicans take 14 the acquisitions would be one Republican and three Democratic.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES (REPUBLICAN
MAJORITY)
Charles L. McNary, Ore.
James E. Watson, Ind.
Charles Curtis, Kan.
George H. Moses, N. H.
Frank B. Brandegee, Conn., Chairman
William M. Calder, N. Y. (retires)
Davis Elkins, W. Va.
Porter J. McCumber, N. D. (retires)
Thomas Sterling, S. D.
Note; The Senate Majority Leader (now' Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts) does
not serve as Chairman of the Committee on Committees, who is another Senator elected
by the Majority Conference (now Frank B. Brandegee of Connecticut). This Committee
is elected by the Senate Majority Conference with a less rigid seniority rule than that
applied to the standing committees.
SENATE MINORITY (DEMOCRATIC) STEERING COMMITTEE
Oscar W. Underwood, Ala., Chairman Claude A. Swanson, Va.
Gilbert M. Hitchcock, Neb. (retires) John Sharp Williams, Miss, (retires)
Oscar W. Underwood, Ala., Chairman Claude A. Swanson, Va.
Note: The Minority Floor Leader is the Chairman of this Committee. Senator Under¬
wood has announced that he will relinquish the leadership. The members are elected and
the Chairman designated by the Democratic Minority Conference.
HOUSE MAJORITY (REPUBLICAN) COMMITTEE ON
COMMITTEES
STATE NAME CITY VOTES
Calif. Julius Kahn San Francisco 8
Colo. Charles B. Timberlake Sterling 3
Conn. John Q. Tilson New Haven 4
Idaho Burton L. French Moscow 2
111. James R. Mann (deceased) 20
Ind. Merrill Moores Indianapolis 8
Iowa William R. Green Council Bluffs 11
Kas. Daniel R. Anthony, Jr. Leavenworth 7
Ky. • ■ 3
Me. Wallace H. White Lewiston 4
Md. Frederick N. Zihlman Cumberland 4
Mass. Samuel E. Winslow Worcester 13
Mich. Carl E. Mapes Grand Rapids 12
Minn. Harold Knutson St. Cloud 8
Mo. Marlion E. Rhodes (retires) 5
Mont. Washington J. McCormick (retires) 1
Neb. Moses P. Kinkaid (deceased) 3
N. H. Edward H. Wason Nashua 1
N. J. Isaac Bacharach Atlantic City 6
N. Y. Thomas B. Dunn (retires) 20
N. D. George M. Young Valley City 3
Ohio Nicholas Longworth Cincinnati 16
Okla. L. M. Gensman (retires) 1
Ore. Willis C. Hawley Salem 2
Pa. William W. Griest Lancaster 30
R. 1. Walter R. Stiness (retires) 2
S. D. Charles A. Christopherson Sioux Falls 3
Tenn. J, Will Taylor LaFollette 2
Tex. Hany M. Wurzbach Sequin 1
Utah Don B. Colton Vernal 2
Vt. Porter H. Dale Island Pond 2
Wash. Albert Johnson Hoquiam S
W. Va. Harry C. Woodyard (retires) 2
Wis. James A. Frear Hudson 10
Wyo. Frank W. Mondell (retires) 1
Total 225
Note: Each State delegation from a State having any Majority (Republican) Congress¬
men elects one member of the Committee on Committees, who has therein as many votes
as there are Majority (Republican) Congressmen from his State.
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