THE CONGRESS: Fourth Branch

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In order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty, George Washington and 54 other aristocrats planned a government for the U. S. consisting of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. It did not occur to them to create a fourth branch—inquisitorial. In the course of nearly 150 years politicians have learned a lot, and one thing they have learned is that there is nothing more effective politically than a good hot investigation.

Last week, accordingly, Congressmen took up their summer jobs as the fourth branch of the Government. The House Military Affairs subcommittee, which fortnight ago demanded the retirement of General Foulois as chief of the Army Air Corps, reopened the question of Assistant Secretary Harry Woodring's Army contracts. Senator Pope of Idaho announced that investigators for the Munitions Committee were discovering ''shocking" evidence, which would come out when its public hearings start in September. Representative Dickstein's Nazi hunt and Senator Black's year-old investigation of ocean and air mails were simmering at summer heat. All told, the 3rd Congress had promised its members 23 investigations and provided $655,500 to last until January. Inquisitions afoot:

Senate: Conditions among Indians $ 10,000 Stock Market 200,000 Air & Ocean Mail Contracts 55,000 Racketeering 25,000 Munitions Industry 50,000 Rackets in the Building Trades 5,000 Bankruptcy & Receivership Proceedings 10,000 Senatorial Campaign Expenditures. 25,000 Mayflower Hotel Reorganization. 1,000 Superintendent, Shiloh National Park 2,000 $383,000

House Post Office Expenditures 5,000 Judge Ritter of Florida 5,000 Revenue Laws 10,000 Bankruptcy & Receivership Proceedings 17,500 Conservation of Wild Life Resources 7,500 Nazi Propaganda 30,000 Holding Companies 100,000 Veterans' Pensions 7,500 Petroleum Industry 25,000 War Department Expenditures 30,000 Tin Resources of World 10,000 Congressional Campaign Expenditures 10,000 Bond Holders Committee 15,000 $272,500

Senators and Representatives last week felt comparatively virtuous. Other Congresses generally provided their members with topics for investigation which necessitated junkets to Alaska, Europe and other desirable summer resorts. But members of the 73rd Congress are staying within the U. S. to tend their political fences so that next January they may find themselves members of the 74th legislative & inquisitorial Congress.