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Cb% questiou that so oftan culssa is what ia the difference
betwsen -mrkiag on the Seaate side and the work on the Houae side.
.$ell, 7 scr-red for eight terms it? the X~use aad in that time s e m d
on a variety of committees, incl??-bg chainsrrurhig of %he Committee
on The Xuti i c t of Columbia, but m;i main work was on the .%?propriatiom
C d t t e e , and in the 80th Congress I wmer-3 as c w of the sub-
canmittee on agricul tur l eppr?priationa. I did have a small - connitto+ uwf and a oery modest office staff, h.t when I r?oved
over here* found that the volme of work ccsnptlred with t ! : m tiowe
lass sbl;: beyond all ~oqxrisor:. 1: have thirteen on the staff
and could use anot$ar fire, and c ~ d d use mow off ice space :Je
ham t'nree offices hem, one dolmstairs where we do our noisy work
and one ups'is that I can nse but i da not get to it meh.
Indicative of the volume of work, in a e m t r y 153 tKid million
people, the mail g r a by leaps a m bounds and constitutes a real
problem. Gna wonders '~IQT a person can ciisrposta of it Pnd still do
justice -LQ legislative duties. I said %a a group u b w e r e in her6
earlier %M. aonrig, a t &be psis the w t w s t m&mr of l~tters La
a shgle day uiu jwt h a t 16,-W. Plail w i l l ekolttle b e k e n one
irnd CM thowarxi let- r day and, of c o w , rrs aim to ansoar
aerpthing %hat c- in. Coneaque&lq yau have to avaF1. y ~ ~ s e l f
of merj faailit$ ia onbr to rive all attention.
p i s a Sprrrgg.) om ques+h, on let-, uhPt is the w d
*OF of letcep. about?
In thnt Csr i i ic sol? of d, me hme bad n e l y k 0 , a
letters relatin(( 60 the . GtjlPniseel of M.oAr%im, bnt people are
vocal on nearly sBerJr aubjeet that geta prew atten0ion. For a long
tims there .were a t leas t 280 every day relatin(! to abolition of the
RFC, 230 a day dealing dth h ~ e s . An interenti* thidg is that in
other years you heard from those i.n the tip-top tan bracket but today
I - it 15 from those humble, ordinary folks who sit dovn and convey Wir .-
thoughts to paper a d send them t o us on such thin@ aa tkxes, 2 T.G.,
loyalty 'n goscnxnent, appropriation bi l ls , agriculbd~u? o l l c y , Korea-
and t.:=rc is a t r ~ ~ ~ ~ n d o u s in terest , of cfiwse, i c Korea--?ropxcd
treaty to terminate host i l i t ies - w i t h Ge."many d J a p a n . There is
s c a r c e l ~ anything that does not engrlge the attention o: the !xblic
-3'
(3. 'iamond! You have qdOe a nuarber of l e t t e r s concerning
dismissal of reserve forces?
Yes, I would say as a guess we mould p~aeesa LO or 50 veterans
and services cases a day-organized r e sema , inactive reserves,
people who xant t o ba separated for reasons of hardship, p a 6 e who
cant to be transferred i n tk service h sons l ine of duty mom
consowt with their trlmh., h a p ~W.I medical edrraaen who vaut
to ut i l ize iQ, bogs wbo are architects or engineem uho instead of
slugging mound want to make use of their talents, and also yon ham
quih a variety, scmre w a n t in, some w a n t aut, sons wnt eolelssiom,
8- w m l t t x a n e f ~ . T h r e is the &lob emu*. Yon g o t lot6 of
l e t t e r s and you get l&a of calls.
In addition to the heavy volunre of usail, I doubt ðer them
bas ever been so mmy cal lers that I can remember. 1 can only say
th is with proper modesty and it Ls told by the b o p ar, the door over
-Ln the Lena&. It s a w I get Wee acs callem -..any other
senator, wen thoae close a t hand. They come a% individuals inter-
ested i n material. and controls, tax 8martimtion and nsv $ante,
werythinc relating t o defense prograu, service eases, and tfie whole .- gamut gi pvernmental activi t ies.
(-'ies Lpragr s) d d d yw say there is a relations5ip between
ths number of callers yon hwve mid the efforts ,ou and your office
force n ~ t forth to handle the various requests?
lea , that, and one other thing. ;men you campaign you get
acquainted w i t h L i b r a l l y hundreds of t%~ousands of popls. " b y
feel they bow you personally and that is an i d t a t i o n to fee l
#at they uFU get synpat2letic treabwnt.
I%. B B U B B I O ~ ~ ) d d d you recmmend that :kind of c ~ q , a i g & . q
( YO11 the s&dJla hold up) k0 @d On bthb tel'Itl6 dtkl
the paple?
It w i l l s e m as a o W i that I 'mw of t o glea%rnte a l i t t l e
mere respect I'or and confidence! i n gorremmnt FP they fee1 t h y hava
a U s o n officsr in gasbington t o ventilate Weir pmble818. I f they
feel there is a curtain, of cc-me they *ill not do it. They w i l l
auy, oh, 6, he ha# hie head in tha strakrspb.re ond s l e t tW~
get &*&ion at all.
(Miss Spl9ggs) Thot would suggest a AUC~ mere active c q a i g n
on the part of Ohe Republican party th.n them uns i n 1%8.
in5eed so9 for you find nvt i&at is in tihe he& of the mopla
and wrk a t it actively and erne In close contact with them.
Ym- re-ber way back, Vm question 02 aboliticm or of ~ u t t i n g
.mtu t n Motr le t C-overnrr~nt, the Fecorder o!' Wds Office, or of
instail1 ng mare modedeed mac%ifies to do'-the *mrk, 3hey Alien and
9. Thowson came F-n and tbay ha? s:mpzthatic $maLment. In one
appropriation bill, remmbr, t k ; r r ropo~ed bo mechanize the office.
r;if c m ~ ~ e it would end a good d e a l of help. it rrdght be -useful,
and yet w had always f e l t VndL t t m t office belonged to :lour
- people, 2nd a t the saw tims we dFd natwant that t o beeom a
wayon f ~ r cutting c i f a gocd many wmple you had on the payr%!..
Also an effor t m a 1Bd. to bring it within the pHml.p of ths D i s t r i c Q
Cranniissiannr. de were against it and venti;Lated it Fn the nwspper8.
Bad it becons law it would have aade it so that ?a t ror~ge m a d ham
tern 3.n those bedn under s a w nmbers of tbe C d s s i o n . ' developed
5 o ~ f e l t c i tma feel3ags for 'll~ f?ecordsr) ; he .uas a goad, caur'Xle
~ u b l i o senant. If he had h e n slou&y ar asgleetrwl it vaulrl hero
bean different, but he did a very worWwF&le job and no one c c d d say
o t h e d s e . Y m dll recall it rmzdned in his bmd~.
(Yiza -e) A. ChPiraran of tihe D i s t r i c t Cormnlttea for a
10% time, what do you $hi& abcxt a v o k for the M a W t of C a l n l M I ?
I can just tell. you t h i s much at of 8lg wn experience mr
there. Xhen 1 was chairman it w a s the first t b we f i n a l l y dev~loped
a 'norm rrric b i l l for the D i s t r i c t of Colllslbia. de spent 330,WO to
develor: t h a t b i l l . ;ie ha& a s u b s t m t i a l and specbJ;iaed staff nnd
dereloged a ccoslete horns ru le apprcach. T'ney w u l d n 8 t l e t rise bring
it on tile f l c o r u n t i l the shank of the last session of tha t e o n ~ r e s s
and Wer the rules the M s t r i c t ~ e t s one& e v e n other week. imen
a bill is not f inished t h a t day it goes over a6 udinislied business
for two weeks. ,hen you are at the end unlosa you ge t syeci-al dis-
pensation you cannt;t make the e f f o r t and i was up against a good
many laembers below Che Ptwon-2L~on line and %Plat work -w not
contplet~d. Xw there is pending 3 b i l l i n the -enate Dis t r i c t
Conrmittee. ft was streanlined and cho pad up a goo6 l ied. ;ow
when yon look down #e Foad t o sce what you can ge t you anguish
yourself and put l o b of labor in some%hing vhiah r5U die at the
o i h r end of Gagreas.
FIe&?ru h e talked t o me a b w t it. Unloss you can get soate-
thing t h a t b a a ruauonabla chance of p a a s q e in the Zoum, it is
, love's l ~ b ~ r hmt. Once you estabilsh 8 % ~ itind of a pat tern JQU
can pick w from there and probably ?ick it up as tinre goes on.
'PJo o r three v e a ~ ~ i o m r r pending a t t,% p r sent time i n the m i l l ,
mcdFPy it here rad them, a t the av-ropriate time Pnd giue goad
conaideratien to 10. T a f s is to my, YBat OFS cot =ark out a t
lewt a t e l t r as in that db%&aan.
'he reasan is that baa parties c a m %he p U in Che plat fom
t o the ef pect that timy end~rse 3txce Rule for the Mstrict of Columbia,
A t least it is on the boar*.
The c h a i m of the C d t t e e on the House aida is John
H & i Y P n . Iie baa been forthright and "I a against thia b i l l .
I w i l l f i r h t it every m y I kwPr how." He wrs the emocrat
when I was chairman and assured 1x3 ''XS Will 1 ~ a . v ~ no tAi .~ ~ndoDB to
b r i q abwt its defeat. The f ilihwter is s t i l l eff eetive h* zou
cen get enough people to vork a t it.
!PPigs Sprages) :&at is y x r fseiing about proposed change tn
the clot73re rule:'
The wtter FB mt alive new but %be questioa hars cane up as to
whetbar to b r i ag it into the plan to nrodiflr it under. bhe sWtitpts
proposal offered by Senator iI"harj tvo or ttYae para ago xhe-
a vote of a constitutional tam-thirds, msaais!g +tbirCtr of the
entire membership of 96, p u can moc?if'y or do .oythlarg pw pleaea.
1 do believe if them is enough inkerest you 6iIOu&bt% bove too
great dFPficul?,tO get it.
(24isa Sp%ggaj 3aartor ibarry *o S d W s %maittee
recently and shhd h., am the author o f t&m p&mw eknn~ea in
Ule bill, %as w i l l f a g to ham it dram up aad be rearansible for
delivering Oba Ropublicra vo*.
I bel3.m as a general thing that scam further mdifycati-on of
the existing Lay is necaaauy arid along dth W, I h o p solaetiw
t o give sustained attention to the Senata rules. A s the thing is
now, & i l e it does p r e s e m the mazbuum of t h e discussion, some
changes are des7habl.e i n the fntemst of expediting legislation,
because you can start :dth an qyropriation m~sura, you may get - one s p e c 3 on the matter and then semeone s~ends tM hours on :<owat
someone fats recagnition from t h ~ Chair and discussels tho o i l situ-
ation i n Tran or foreign trade and mu m y never get ta the b i l l
again tbt day. I do believe that i n connecLion with some i eg i s -
l a t i m there ought l o be a rule that they could not take time unless
thE discwsion was g a d n e t o the tang a t hand unt i l it was die-
p o d . ie had the Interior A p T o ~ r i a t i ~ r i Bill on the floor for nim
d q a .ad hem rn are so far behind that it w i l l be quits auhi3e
before we get t o o t b r appropriation mrsesures. Already we have
w s e d a Fes:lntlo. to continue apnropr ia t im in &?act bqadl t i m
f iscal year.
tHss Spragge) Do you mean t o say that wuld require two-thirds
of t t m meslbsm on Che Sloor preaent and vofirrg?
J e l l wbfher 1 could go that far u' not, but I do belime them
ough* to be .am rodFfication of whai, is up a t ths preluat t5.m. 1%
is a putter *at mrik immdiate su~tey and if ue get a little t iW
k~ get a r q fioa tbU prom of lsgislation, I Wnk tbat nratter will
ImTe . t ~ ~ O n .
(Hss Sprsh(&bl) There has been a great deal of criticism of thg
small zmber of Ml l s passed a t th i s moreen-$.
As a matter of fact, I think instead of meritint: criticism, it
should merit cmemfation. The reason is that I always f e l t t.her.e
was a p o d deal i n what Thorns Xenrp 9& had t o say that " H m a a
progresc is mde by not so mch w h t goes on ti= statute books as by - what ilhmes or'f." So whether they .,ass f i f t y b i l l s this scsslon, ?s
compared +TI-th two hundred M l l s Sc the f i r s t session of tk List Congreas
i s not too distwbing or alanl-ng. It may bo a l l to the goor! for if
yo% think of fortq-etght leginlata.m% grinding out Laws, in aixkition
lative hedies a r e M t a l i t t l e c r l t i c d ad a l i t t l e zore carcfxl - and impr.we the quality of ~Aat, tw do rather khan qaentitjr, I be-
lime i t : a d d have a salutary effect.
!?%s Spraggs) 5. notioa ;--u just clmre back frou a tour t o t e s t
out sentiment. rhs t would yan sar are tihe chances for the ?bepu;'iican8
.in 19527
I fee l reasonably bgtlslis'tlc about it for the .followin& reasonsr
'Rtere is a h o s t i l i t ~ . i(8 distinguished fram fro* anger. There
ia nol concern today. I doubt -ðer I have ever seen the countqj
so a le r t and vocal in fields ilk ec-inonT, tasation, spending, LnPlaCliaa,
Lnd a l l thoU u e i n tba f i sca l field. Ono could not d~Wnati& tb
f o r thafl~elvea. I tlxink Pmat they see is thie. T h y sea an 80
bil l ion dollar expenditure which necessprib bas to be cbnsidered
i n l ine n;-th tlw expenditures in the stabs.
( 3 3 s ~ Zprxgs) I was going to ask about that issue - I am of the opinion from :<hat I have soen. I hsk e ! e m in
twenty-three states since January and I have teen in rme f~ur or - five tulles, and t h e more 2 sec the nonore I ant inciined t o believe
the issues are, as never before, the fmdamental issues, taxes and
spending. I thin?& &at pewlo say is that if you m o m in t'ne
direction of" insolvent budget it i s bound to have two effects.
The ffrst one is a e m l e t e ertenslon of federal control on the
theory t h a t once you get saladled with budget and a heavy debt,
there will c m a d d for more and mom autnority i n order to
mawage the whole structure, and advance the arymer~t we are in
gnna danger of g o i q e h m q h the -*ringer, and must &ive more
pwer to m a w this whale thing. It w i l l thsn leach away the
whale struetura aa controls bear d m what happen8 i s you
fwMer and furtbr taward the sitlration in kngland. I n t le dnda
of th3 neqole they have great c?ifFicultj Fn spelling it mt. It
brings i n k play tb hate of co~~~unisra. The average reaction bs
ecanmtaisn is not teosotiodi a t a1 1. .4s I ?robe leople 's thin!C;l
I fee l sohat they see 3.9 an ec-lron3.c levelling off poeess wheraby
a ls~n who is Progal Yui sorim hard Peon gmemmat w i l l . a&
him to share w i t h sindlar cirnt~ls taneed follrs who thmugh lack of
cltligence and frugality has f r i t t e r e d way confidence and cpportunity.
It is not emotionalism a t all . It i s very red, related t o tb whole
basic issue todqr .
No fear of overthrow of pmemn;ent s o much as a fear of overthMv
of the ec~nomic stnlcture. - l e w l e sense the ec~nonic lnplication of th js at work. They want,
t o preserve the free enterprise system here eesnorrdc &xLsions are
mads i n the market place instead ?i' i n government.
Bers .qe have an emergent rori-od ;nd. h5TPa a controlled p.aL&rials
plan. A l ' . t t l e plant d r m i n the I%er end sf bhe s t a t e niakes mail
boxes. The; have twenty geople -.:rkirg steadily but they can g e t no
brass. '%+:; need S,iY30 pounds a -year. They have t o send delegates
d a m here, they have to .argue, c m t a c t a f e n s e Production Authority,
we contact the authori t ies d m there and f i n a l l y s a , if gol: can ' t
suddenly discover they had not been in business long enough t o have
a bpss and suddenly 20 or 25 necrle dl1 be lakd off, which ma<= a
peat deal t o Chet little tam. They had just four days before e ~ L r ~ g
capacitg ,In government controls. i.Shen you t ransfer a l l them
decisions of control you see.your control i s complete. You can
ge t i n the iinited States Che s a m thing as in Z,ritain u i a the
t a k i n y over of plants. Ijritain thought it easier t o take over
niarxts -tills, a i r l i nes , me*.* pxker s , e t c . Ifere you don't have
to take over. You make then c m c t o government for ever+
decialon. It can te just as com~lete .
';ow 11ould YOI: propose to channel esssn t ia l materials i n t o
P an-es~ent~ial :>rod~ction':
=,-kt now because of tfie ?or. an d i f f i cu l ty a d the neces?.iby
f o r the arr;rar;le& pmgmni I 60 not t?i& yon c a n get suay from can-
t r o l l e d mabrials, but the 3eng.r is a t ghat r . ~ i n t do those c:31?.brol.s
bndrate aod be~ome pehanentl:~ fhieli i n the cozntry. ,.>me :&
ha-ve gym in that way YB lose s i g h t of %he larger ;ic$cctiv.ve.
?e@e 3%: it should Ce kept and c.+r.rl should be enlarged emn
though the c r i t i c a l aspscts of c- .n t rd are gme.
i Spraggs) 3Re nther croblam of business p3r.d.lr.a - inf lat ion. !im# do you propose t h a t 'we &a1 with it?
I m s .the o&j member of tke "anking C d t t e e that voted
against t ke c ~ n t r o l b i l l and .?as .,ne of ten who 7roted against it
.n the f loor of the Senate, no t 'ccnuse i do not haTre ar. L ~ t e r c z t
Ln cnntru1U.q~ Fnfkt ion. ;is a zat-ler a l :act, I thin!.: ~1 iinter2st
i s as deep Ff not deeper t'ne f n t a r r s t of mang peaplb, but X7
difference is as to m W . I U..iak you accollq,Ush nothing Bp
of credit shodd be given back the power of tbe F e a d Reserve Board
&ich the:-, once exercised , and raise the reguirameatrr of the resenee
in hanks.
Lbcosits under l a w by banks m a t be so mch, knoun as excess
roserve requiremnts. &t o m t h e it was very low - five and 10 per
cent Tt i s iligher for the t u o lase reserve c i t i es - Chicago and
Nen To&, a l i t t l e lower Ln the t-.ielve federal reserve c i t i e s jnd
l.mer f-rr a l l the r e s t of the hanks i n the conritry. A xiodest reserve
is a l l right as i o q as you do no t hive i n f l ~ t i o n , but when you have
in f l : i t i ?n tb.e Z~dera l :ieseme %?.re m a t $hen clove i n a d increase
I those rczcrves requirements and si:: :.;>stead of $ending ten rer cent,
send twenty p r cent, ma as >?li insist on higher reserves from the
banks 73,:. Lose t h a t much leas t a be loen&, fo r it i s the loans
that become tk basis for inflation credit.
'.+a have 'men dedirip, d k h s-mt5ms instead of csuses, SO gau
can !put a l l o! tha c o n t r ~ l e on t .e line and not get good effect.
T b danger 33 it rune fo r tw gears is suddaaZy controls fam a
whola explosive force which dU be there to 5h8ka cei-.
I think it is so neoassaxy t o look "i tii red. bet. not put tbe
comt;rg LI a strai t jacket if there are som wors effective weapons
that, &a1 -r';th basic causes rsther than effect. and symptoms. I
think the ?e&ral ilesens h r d is nueh t o b h w . 'Eb control b M
ueut into effect in 5apb.aBer of 1950 and not Wm 8 l ighbs t mW0
was made by tha Federal Reserve Eoard unV-1 a f t e r tPle ffrst of the
year to start copiw w i t h c r ed i t controls. Ve had had combination of C
scare hx;ring and expanded credit -&en we went i n t o Korea. Control
peoole take caasdit for only a modest price r ise. I think as things
bottled *? peppla s a id -re wf l i he enough t o 60 a-roimd and b&ng -
pressure relented. Lome prices vent dawn. 1 tilink i f we will leave
it alone it -All sip!wn off the thing car?&ing in f l a t i on and yo?: won't
have t o l i l t the country i n a st .r : . i t jncket except where cr:.'iical miter-
ials are involved. That i s Czci >ar t f o r gove;mnt t o zrrercise, and
I was quite s a t i s f i ed t o go a l o n ~ , r i t ; i that . ky vote was something
of a pro tes t and I believe the .>rtPodox economists in the co7.mtry
&re in ry comer.
by the bovk, thst ~ a k e s s ve17 p r suasive subject.
Now r i t h such low st.indards in India, China an\ Indonesia. I eap
p w p h die by the thousands in Cdi~eutta and hi. You g e t bbaok tK,
tht oc nmic practice - so i o x as t he re is ria ffay of' gskting barn-
f its d m tc; these people thary a n @ i n g t o be t . ~ g & s ma victbms, i3Lbiss 3.) Dr: p u
a d t i u t is er: !?:vmic r.it:wx thm 2olitic&.///' think ae would hsre
I rlrsfted and introdled that bi l l . fitilough it died, a,
CwpI:ell. of Pennayl-~Bnta pit his namrs on it in this aession
9nd they passed it i n the Bouse. I have been to get
amrd to introduce i t in the Senate d ~ r ~ b a b L y shall cols
of these days.
( S s s S p r w p ) Ulese issues rre raised in the Senate F
you woule! give it support l
~ u p o r t t o the om T have introduced, and labor at it
-- -+ tine best 1 kww hov. 1Gn that issue, on d&C, anti-poll tax
ant i - lbhing the record -<as &brutdantljr clear. Z have
been m tha record on each oi those over the p a r s it the
Youse because 1 fe l t 1 s-io~ild a&e 8- s t a r t in th c i a
rights field. iiih LC w; seem at, it is a s t a r t irl the
rS& dirsctioa.