The Detroit times., 1910-12-03

Kennedy +. Rea. clerk or the senate
committee on appropriations. lie is
unique because only a few years ago
he was imported from the house com
mittee on appropriations, and last year
was only third In rank among the
clerks OF the senate committee. The
ranking clerk was Thomas p Cleaves.
who. next TO Jim" Courts OF the
house committee. knew more about
government finances than anyone else
around the capitol. When Cleaves be-
gan TO feel the infirmities OF years ne
asked his friend Courts TO recommend
him good assistant. Courts decided
that II was chance for Rea and rec
commended him To Cleaves. Cleayes
was Ill all last winter and Rea proved
his mettle by breaking in Senator
Hale as the successor OF the late Sen
ator Allison as chairman OF the com
mittee. So pleased was Senator Hale
with his work, that although Pitman
Pulsifer who had made a record for
himself as right bower TO Senator Hale
while he was chairman OF the COM
mitee on naval affairs. had been
brought over 10 appropriations by Sen
ator Hale. he decided to make Rea the
clerk Thus are both appropriation
committees OF congress guided In their
deliberations by Democratic clerks.
Congress has applied the civil SER
vice law 10 all the departments but
persistently reserves the right 10 adj
here TO the spells system In its own
affairs. and there are only few who
are able to render such service as TO
make them immune when the politi-
cal complexion of either branch
changes. Superintendent of the
document room. George III. Boyd. Is
another senate employe who is sure OF
his lob whoever comes into power. Mr..
Boyd was long an understudy OF the
late Amzi Smith. and the things AMI
Smith did not know about government
documents were not worth knowing.
He was as remarkable OF mind as was
the late Ainsworth X. Sponord, LOT
so long the librarian OF congress Each
OF them grew gray In the service ana
each saw his work expand more than
a hundredfold They kept track OF
every item OF expansion. and no sen
ator ever thought of consulting a doc-
ument index when AmZi Smith was IN
roach He was human index or ths
thousands of different kinds OF docu,
ments I'm his charge. He trained boSu
along the same lines and many mas
heen the time when Boyd mas SHOWN
evidences of as retentiVe inelh"l!
as smith or Spofford possessed sun
q memory is OF inestimaple value
uhan a senator wants some document
concerning which ne knows heltnei
tho number. the congress, nor INC
session under which 1t was prihteu'
The senate press gallery anords al,
o,har example OF the way man MA!
r,aLa himself so useful as to be peyonn
- noIe ~ the most insistent demahus
OF patronage. The superiht1nu n
the senate press gallery Is 'an AM. IN
Preston. Every newspaper ieauo ,,,ai
tho land Is indebted 10 'n'o So,
citizen. His highest amoition ct
m he TO make the work Oh NV
ington correspondent easy anu
assiet him that the whole "orlu na,
,,,ou I'm it's morning paper JUS.
hanronad I'm the senate the DAY peio,e
praston IL the right bower vi
a,andiny committee OF correspondents
"a loots after all details Oh ohl''as
s',no,inns In which the menlueIs VI
80 nrass are concerned. he hhoM
thoroughly the tastes anu and
cracies OF every Correspondence, aan
,,,ha,ber as superintendent Oh 'he
ate press gallery. execu'i.e nsnon.
tho standing committee Oh tha
.ne or assistant secretary Oh the
sr..;o,aI Press club Jim rres'on
a. a wav TO be OF service 10 e'e's
u,.naner reader in America
Tha amployes of the senate "ls
-. naid as a rule, than those oi
~ house Only in the case Oh tue
snS committee OF the
s spp does a clerk get as good pay
Inc clerk Of the Correspondents
Do n,i,tee of the senate. Oh course
- richest paid official or the senate
.he a., ne secretary, whose salary Is s5'-
noe charles G. Bennett has held TINS
49, for number OF years. lie
vas formerly a MEMBER Oh Tue Nus
from Brooklyn, New forh' anu c"e
elected secretary OF the sehale ai.vl
hia defeat for reelection ne JUN
81 the business OF the senate 10 iran,
sac,ed through the clerks uhuer MS
S',r,sd,ction. His principal assis'ah'
- Assistant Secretary hehry VI
posa Rose is one OF the nnest reau-
in the country, and the senators
an the floor are always glad "heh lie
ITS as reading clerk. A few years
90 no had an offer TO engage In pri-
Ct, business, but the senate, in or
Sar n hold him. created the position
- assistant secretary and placed nm
N a. at a salary OF $4,000 year Inc
ne,ces of the financial clerk. the sup
or,ntendent OF the document room
,ba keeper of the stationery, and the
librarian are under the general dlrec.
tion of the secretary.
Few officers in the government ser
,,,ce have had such long connection
win n as Financial Clerk Nixon, VINO
has been with the senate since 1891.
lie has disbursed over $6O'OOo'VOV'
When he began his period OF service
there were ffty-five senator's; today
there are ninety-two. he has served
longer than any other disbursing OIL
flcer OF the government, and next to
Judge Mills. Is the notary public OF
longest service in Washington.
Two important employees OF the
senate are the floor messengers, Tom
Keller and Carl Loeffler. They are I'm
charge OF all pairs when votes are
taken, and many a time the result of
a senate vote has hinged on their be-
a