Evening star., 1915-03-07
DUTY Of SENATE PAGES
IS ExAC7|NG AND CLOSE
Bows Have Little Time for Play,
Though They Sometimes Work
in a Burlesque Session.
Report at 8 O'Clock Each Day and
Must Be UP to the Mark in
Their Appearance.

Must be up TO the MARX IN
Their Appearance.
During tthe recent consideration in
the Senate of the legislative. executive
and judicial appropriation bill Senator
tatron of New Mexico offered an
amendment to put the sixteen pages of
the Senate on a regular annual salary
of s.20 each. Under the law they are
paid $3.50 a day for each day the Sem
ate is in session. Senator Catron ar
gued that the boys were entitled to an
annual salary. They must, under the
law. be boys of from twelve to six
teen years of age. Senator Catron's
amendment failed, and they will con-
tinue to be paid per diem.
In the ST. Nicholas Magazine there re-
Gently appeared the following article
on the pages of the Senate by Josephine
g. Tighe:
Tn your histories and books of me-
dieval romance. you have undoubtedly
read about pages-lithe slim lads who
sat at the foot of the throne and at a
and thither for their majesties upon
pressing errands of state. These pages
wore long hose and slashed doublets
lace iounces fell about their wrists:
buckles of finely wrought gold. and
their caps with graceful, dropping
"One of your very best friends, the
boy attendant upon a person of rank or
distinction; tb) boy who attends
upon the members of legislative
body: as Senate page
And these very page-boys of the
United States Senate perform just
about the same duties as did the silk
en-clad ones in the centuries past In
stead of sitting at the foot of a throne,
the Senate pages are placed on the
steps surrounding the dais which holds
the chair occupied by the Vice Presi-
duty it is to preside over the sessions
Of the upper branch of our legislature.
Sixteen Senate Pages.
There are sixteen pages, and eight
are seated on each side of the Vice
Presidents desk. Unsteady of the gaudy,
glowing costumes Of the early pages,
our boys wear knickerbocker suits of
blue or black wool. white shirts and
collars, and neckties of any desired
color. The suits must be thoroughly
brushed and pressed, linen immaculate,
shoes the blackest of the black, and
stockings guiltles of a single darn
Each morning at 8. the pages report
> the chief of the pages, Edwin Hal
fs, and woe to the boy whose attire
Ind general appearance are not up to
stae mark. Woe to the page whose
teeth and finger nails do not show
signs of proper and exquisite care,
whose tie is not adjusted precisely as
il should be, Mr.. Halsey keeps
careful record. on which the marks for
conduct. efficiency, appearance and in
tellfgence displayed by each page are
duly entered.
After passing the scrutiny of the
~ bief nf ha he op he
day begins, and until o'clock the lads
find scant time for rest or amusement.
Each boy has the desks of six sena-
tors to look after. and on these desks
must be placed every morning the 1le
of the current Congressional Record.
together with the bills, resolutions and
documents of the previous day. All
told, ninety-six desks are in the Senate
ninety-six inkwells must be cleaned
and freshly filled. Each desk has
sand bottle, but as most of the senators
prefer blotting paper to the old-fash-
ioned way Of tossing sand upon newly
written sheets, the pages have little
work with the sand bottles.
Snuff Boxes Still Used
Two antiquated SNUFF boxes. which
did strenuous duty long years ago, still
occupy a place of honor in the Senate,
and though seldom used nowadays,
must be kept filled with snuff by the
pages. Sometimes, when a new MEM
Der is sworn in, he will be solemnly in
vited by a brother member to try
pinch of snuff; but there is really little
call for it, although it is still religious
ly purchased by the United states gov
ernment for the use Of the senator's
"On every desk must go newly
sharpened, finely pointed lead pencils,
also penholders containing new pens. As
many of the senators are decidedly
particular about large, small. sharp or
stub penpoints the page must be ex-
trernely careful to supply the desired
kind.
The Vice Presidents gavel is care
fully. formally put away each night;
and as carefully and formally restored
by a page each morning to its place in
front of the presiding officer. 1t would
be decided breach OF page etiquette
negligent page-should the Vice Pres
ident attempt to call the Senate to
order and find no gavel with which to
do SO.
When the desks have been fully ar
ranged and the hour of twelve arrives,
the pages file in and take their allotted
places on the steps of the rostrum.
Down goes the gavel: the honorable
Senate is In session: the chaplain
ofer5 prayer. and the real work OF the
day begins in earnest From now until
ac1ouInfnent tne pages are actually
"on tho jump" A senator desires a
copy Of q Record Of three days. or per
haps thirty years. ago. He claps his
hands smartly. and the page nearest
TO him speeds down the aisle and takes
the order. Sometimes 1t is plainly writ
ten out: more often 1t is hurriedly
rnumbled. And right here is where the
page must exert his intelligence, and
with sense and logic swiftly do the re-
quired errand. Naturally, the boys
must know every member of not only
Rqhv Severe r. och