The 73rd Congress: THE BIG COMMITTEE

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Most sacred stewardship of any Congress, and especially the 73rd Congress is the country's Money. "Taxation without representation" was the cause of the above scene—the Ways & Means Committee (part of it) holding a hearing in Room 15 on the Capitol's main floor. All revenue legislation must originate in the House, in this committee. Chairman Doughton (spectacles up, biting nails) is a North Carolina farmer with eleven House terms behind him. Representative Treadway of Massachusetts (right) is the ranking minority member, the Republican watchdog who would get Mr. Doughton's chair should parties change. Chairman Doughton is shortly to be translated to the Tariff Commission. His probable successor is stalwart, pipe-smoking Democrat Samuel Billingsley Hill. In the picture the gentlemen are cogitating liquor taxes. They decided to up the spirits tax from $1.10 to $2 per gal. and the House swiftly agreed (see p. 15). The Senate group on ways & means is called the Finance Committee, Mississippi's Pat Harrison, chairman. Besides raising money, Congress has the duties of spending it and denning it. For these two purposes each house has two other potent committees. The two Appropriation (spending) Committees are headed by Virginia's little old Senator Glass (see p. 14) and Representative Buchanan of Texas. The Banking & Currency (defining) Committees are under Florida's Fletcher and Alabama's Steagall. Thus has the Solid South been rewarded with all the key money posts in Congress.