St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-04-28

THE ROUTINE OF CONGRESSMAN.

NJ
One of the oldest members OF the
national House of Representatives
recently kept the record of a day at
the request of the Washington cor
respondent of the Philadelphia TeIe-
graph Here it is in brief: At 8
O'Clock, breakfast; $50 opened mail
and laid aside all newspapers with
marked articles for future examina-
ton. Read upwards OF 80 letters on
all sorts of subjects, OF which the fol-
lowing are 20 examples: One is from
a veteran asking for information
about his pension. He gives no
post-office address, and am obliged
to write a letter to the pension office
to secure his address. Another cor
respondent wants a number of
volumes of geological survey, which,
upon investigation, | find are not to
be had. A veteran writes that he
communicated with the pension office
December 7, 1891, and got COM
municatIOn from them nearly month
later, which made no reference to his
letter; wants me to go to the office
to see If his communication was re-
ceived. Another letter requires me
to go to the pension office to ascer-
tain what there is defective in the ap-
plea ton of the writer for a pension.
gentleman from the agricultural
department requests me to accompa-
ny him to my home, where heis to de-
liver a lecture to some of my con-
stituents. Another wants the Con-
gressional Record sent to him. An
applicant for pension wants to know
where his papers are. One OF my
constituents writes for me to secure
him a place in the government de-
partments. Another wants the re-
port of the bureau of animal industry
Another wants his pension matters
looked up but does not give the num-
Der of his case. Another wants po-
sition in the government printing
Office. In another letter, the gentle
man gives an account of trouble he
is having over the exacti0n of duties
from him for goods brought to the
custom-house. This requires investi-
cation at the customs division, treas
ury department, and an examina ton
of the law, which shows the duties
were properly collected.
The pension office notifies me of the
allowance of a pension. The office
also wants to know how an appli-
cant for pension in my district spells
his name. Another correspondent
wants informa ton as to the foreign
insurance companies doing business
at the national capital. A pension
applicant wants to know all about
the surgical report in his case. An
other wants to have a medical ex-
amIna ton as to his condition made
at his home because he is unable to
travel. Another letter is on the sub
ject of river and harbor improve
ments. Another gentleman wants
me to ascertain what action has been
taken in some land case he has before
the government.
These are examples of requests con-
tanned in nearly hundred letters
Each one requires reply, and most
of them involve writing letters to
the departments or making personal
visits. Many require long personal
examina tions of department records
and an unwinding of lots of red tape.
Most of the matters are such as must
be looked into before going to the
capitol.
After this [ go to the committee
work. There is a different commit
tee for every day in the week, with
subcommittee work besides, and on
Saturday, besides several sub-com-
mittees to look after, l have various
departments to visit. At ~ O'Clock
| entered the House, introduced bills,
chased around after the speakers
eye, listened to debates, took part in
general legislation, answering let
tiers between times, answering roll
calls. and received visits from a large
number of constituents and other
persons who called me out by card.
Five minutes is allowed for lunch
meanwhile, and at 6 O'Clock l dine.
At z O'Clock | again return to my
mail and to newspapers and to PAM
phlets and a world of other printed
matter. This occupies me until II
O'Clock, when, for the first time dur
ing the day, l get chance for gener-
al reading and for study, which oc-
cupieS me for an hour or more, until
drOwsiness compels retirement
This is the average humdrum day
with a congressman, which is re-
peated every "a hours, and involves
an immense amount of labor without
interest.
VERMONT REUNION.