Costly Inquiries

In caucus, the Republicans of the Senate made an important decision. They voted that hereafter a resolution for an investigation be referred to an appropriate committee to determine whether the investigation is likely to produce any desirable or utilitarian results before the investigation is voted on by the Senate.

Heretofore a resolution for an investigation has been referred to the Committee on Audit & Control of Contingent Expenses, the chief function of which has been to estimate the probable cost of the investigation (cost of clerks, stenographers, transportation cost for witnesses, etc.). Then the resolution for an investigation has been voted on by the Senate. Generally it has been passed because Senators do not care to lay themselves open to the charge of having helped the Administration cover up its defects.

The Republican caucus declared that this system encourages promiscuous investigation and is too costly. Senator Warren, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, produced a list of the sums appropriated by the Senate for its investigations in the last 17 years:

1910....$35,000 1911....25,000 1912....50,000 1913....25,000 1914....60,000 1915....25,000 1916....25,000 1917....25,000 1918....25,000 1919....35,000 1920....38,500 1921...150,000 1922...100,000 1923...100,000 1924...100,000 1925...290,000 1926(to date)... 275,000

The total cost for the nine years 1910-18 inclusive is just about equal to the annual expenditure in the last two years. Senator Warren went on: "We have four or more investigations now in process, which; up to the present have reached proportions from $11,600 to $124,000 plus. These are for investigations authorized and begun before the opening of the present session of Congress. What the total of these last may reach is unknown at present, although it is presumed that they are near their close. But, even during the last month, in one case one man drew a salary of $1,300 for that one month's service, the same as for the preceding month."

The recent investigations which are said to have been the costliest are those by the Committee on Mines & Mining into gold and silver production, by the Committee on Public Lands & Surveys into forest reserves, etc., and by the special committee under Senator Couzens into the Internal Revenue Bureau.

The Democrats and Progressive Republicans view this action by the Republican caucus with distaste and distrust. They regard it as a political move to shut off investigations in order to protect the Administration. They fear that, if investigations are referred to committees for appraisal as to their worth, the committees will pigeonhole them.

The truth of the matter is that, with next fall's election in the offing, a flood of investigations seems to be in prospect, but how much the Republican action can hold back the flood is dubious. Even if a committee reports adversely on a proposed investigation, the Senate is likely to order the investigation if it continues in its present temper.