The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-27
SOME INTERESTING NEWS AND
 GOSSIP FROM WASHINGTON
BY WALTER HARPER

Washington, october 26.-(Special.)- Walking through one of the now silent corridors of the house office building a few mornings ago, I came to the door of the office of one of the Alabama con- gressmen. I was surprised to find the door standing open
 An, here is an item for my paper It was the newest member of the delega- tinn perhaps hurrying to the capitol to get a bunch of bills ready for the next ses- sion. Here's where I get red hot inter view from one of the first arrivals.
 walked in. The room was empty. That Is, it was empty of human pres ence. I waited a few minutes. There was nothing doing. I looked up and down the corridor. A scrub woman was busy far down at the opposite end.
 'Lody, massy, no, dat congressman hab not come. We are just fxin' up his room for him"
 It was a sore disappointment. My eyes were aching for the sight of familiar fare from Alabama. I returned to the room and looked about.
 Books and papers had been carefully 1 in scrupulous order. A miniature flag was waving gently from snug position at the top of file cabinet The stem had been stuck between the panels of the top shelf It had been left there per hars to add an air of patriotism to the silence of the chamber by the patriotic occupant from Alabama
 But there was another thing in the room that attracted my attention and stirred a feeling of strange emotion l will mot name. I do not know just why it was there It is on wheels and may have rolled there by mistake But 1t was there and it looked snug and comfortable.
 I rolled it across the room and back again and felt sensation of paternal pride It mellowed the disappointment I had just felt There are trinkets in this world without individual interest that awaken in every mans breast thrill of common sentiment.
 One of those articles is what I found in the silent, deserted, and dust pervaded offices of one of Alabamas s most promis- ing congressman.
 And rolled it across the floor and back again.
 Then I retired softly and ascended two
 
 rooms where number of clerks are set ting down long columns of long figures, adding them up, subtracting other figures, dividing and multiplying and then add in;, again.
 Here is one office where dust does not accumulate.
 But this is justifiable exception.
 The Presidents economy board is go- ing to look into the method of expending money appropriated by Congress for the administration of the affairs of the Dis frct of Columbia. Chairman Johnson of the House District committee has inti- mated that the plan of bearing half the expense of running the municipal gov ernment may be discontinued.
 There have been charges of extrava- gance and an investigation Is to be made Tie stranger in Washington Is inn pressed with the liberality of the govern ment in all it's administration of affairs not only in the city, but for the general government.
 The thing that impresses the stranger most is the small amount of work that public employees seem to be expected to accomplish in given time.
 Shortly after the close of the special session the tile floor in one of the rooms on the basement floor of the capitol build ing was taken up and replaced with new tilng. One day I walked through the moving small rubber tired truck loaded