Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-08
EgwAsp XnvRRttY
Tie NfERkNNc 1ENxrE
REPORTER,

gress Of the United States are
having an unusually strenuous
Il time this year in chronicling
the proceedings of the national
legislature. 1t is not necessary TO seek
far for the reason. This is presidential
year. and the opportunity is seized by
many 1egislators-as similar occasions
have been at intervals of four years In
the past-to make political hay while the
sun shines. Therefore the country has a
surfeit of debate literally favored with
politics while constant reader finds
the Congressional Record burdened with
innumera BILE speeches in which national
issues are discussed to the neglect Of the
measures ostensibly under consideration.
All this means hard work and plenty of
1t for the expert stenographers who COM
prise the corps of official reporters of the
Senate and House of Representatives. Not
only is the debate under 'such circum-
stances particularly lively and many of
the speeches particularly lengthy. but the
orators are exceptionally concerned as to
the form in which their remarks will ap-
pear in print. Dozens of these speeches
In Congress will later be sent broadcast
as campaign ammunition. Naturally the
authors are solicitous as to how their
efforts will appear in cold type and ma he
revisions and corrections almost without
end. However. the official reporters are
we'll equipped to keep tab on the sayings
of the nations lawmakers. A system mas
gradually been developed which makes II
possible to present complete detailed rec
ord of all that has transpired at a daily
session of either house of Congress In an
almost incredibly short space OF time
after the body has adjourned. This Is
ACCOMPLISHED by having the ofhciai re-
porters work in relays and by the intro
duction of the most up-to-date mechanl-
cal equipment. not the least notable fea-
ture of which Is found in the business
monographs into which most OF the re-
porters now talk their notes instead OF
debating them to stenographers or per-
sonally transcribing them.
The present-day working system and
equipment of the official reporters, like
this body of shorthand experts itself. has
been brought TO the stage OF perfection
as the result of a gradual evolution. Inc
plan of reporting verbatim the proceed
ings of the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives has been in vogue since lsis,
and in the three score years tnat nave
interviewed since this important feature OF
congressional routine was inauguTated
there have been many changes of metnoo
AT the outset the official reporters look
their notes in shorthand and then at their
leisure laboriously Transcribed the record
in longhand.
When the typewriter was invented 1t |
revolutionized the labor of transcribins |
the reporters notes and more recently an |
other advance almost as notable mas Deen !
made by the introduction of the business I
monograph Some of the veterans OF the |
corps of official reporters still prefer TO |
dictate their notes to assistants Wno take |
them geographically and transcribe
them on typewriters, but the majority of +
The experts dictate TO monographs. the /
cylinders of which at once taken by I
typewriters and a transcript made.
1t is claimed that the photograph /
method is the most economical of time
and il also offers superior advantages |
against error. If typewriter has reason /
TO believe that ne has made an error in !
transcribing from photograph he has /
only to turn back the cylinder and again /
listen to the remarks regarding which he /
is in doubt. but If there is a suspicion of |
in stenographic notes there is. of |
course, no way for the typewriter opera
tor TO determine the matter without con-
sulting the official reporter who gave the |
dctation. While on the subject of econ
omy Of time in this work IL may noted |
that the highest attainment in this line |
is possible where men can read one an
others shorthand notes. but this is rare |
accomplishment. However, some of the /
Murphys-a family conspicuously identified |
with the whole history of congressional J
reporting-had this gift. and ii was at one !
time possible for one member of the fam /
lily 10 remain practically continuously on ,
duty in the Senate chamber, merely turn
ing over his notes for transcribing to I
his brother, who acted as his assistant.
Sx
There are six official reporters in the |
service of the Senate and equal num- !
Der engaged in the House OF Representa- I
tfves whereas in but few of the largest :
business houses in the country could /
there be found more complete equipment
of phonograpns than is now install "a at /
the Capitol. An interesting feature of the /
array of tools of the trade TO be found /
at the headquarters OF the congressional /
reporters IS the shaving machine the
function of this apparatus IS to rejuve- !
nate the monograph records so that they |
can be used again and again. After a
record has served its purpose and the
chronicle ii held has been put in type
written form the cylinder is placed in the
shaving machine and the delicate wax
surface is shaved down until il is ready
TO again record dictation.
Although the system of official reporting
is Identical in the Senate and House Of
Representatives the remuneration of the
reporters is on n different basis in the
two houses OF Congress. In the HOUSE