Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-07-18
Weird Items OF Congressional
STATIONERY"

II turning THE Searchlight" on secret
discussions in secret caucuses and on the
far from secret debates over more or less
secret treaty-making and on the whole
complicated machinery by which a Con-
gressiOnal session gets itself started is
depressed" he can always find relief by
turning to some Of the Congressional docu-
ments most unfamiliar to the general pub
lie. On page 172 of the report of the
Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mr..
Lynn Haines. editor of THE Searchlight"
washington, d. c.. found in the sta
tionery account paid out Of the contingent
fund Of the House" items ''as varied and
entertaining as the best vaudeville" Mr..
Haines. whose monthly magazine is pub
lished by the National Voters League to
keep its subscribers and readers informed
about what is going on in Washington,
never goes over these mute statistics of
political finance without the feeling that
many Of the entries should be interjected
with (auehter) as undelivered speeches
often are. This editor thinks that the en-
tries are funny" enough. and as we are
all helping to pay the bills he believes we
are entitled to laugh-and then swear"
To quote from the June issue Of The Search
light some of these entries with the ac-
companying editorial comment:
For example. on page 1888, these items
appear:
IL dozen Angel-Back playing cards.
r. and b., at $2..............o.........$24.00
6 dozen Movies playing cards. at So 1900
a dozen Congress playing at 81 1900
3 dozen Boston playing-cards. blue.
at S2."...."... OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" 6.OO
2 dozen Canary playing cards, red
and blue. at $2........................ 400
8 dozen No. $50 Premier playing
cards, at $2......"...........,..... 800
2 dozen pinochle C-15 playing
cards, at $1.20....................... 240
2 dozen Pennant whist playing
cards. at $1.35."..................... 2.7O
During that year. in all, 744 decks" of
playing-cards were handled as station
cry" never saw any poker being played
in the House chamber while that body was
in session, but the supply Of cards would
suggest that games Of some sort might
have been going on most Of the time every
where else. Perhaps members may have
employed that method of deciding the
disposition Of pork in appropriation bills.
The House had only one lady member.
but during that year forty-eight manicure
sets were handled In the Stationery" ac-
count. And lot Of similar Stationery
of the boudoir type figured in that account.
One powder-puff, a Partisan ivory box.
hair-receiver. some sachets. and one dozen |
assorted busts are recorded in various
places.
Following some lunch kits" on page
1874. there is quite punching Of toilet
tools, as follows:
2 manicure sets. No. 4712. at $2.70$ $40
2 manicure sets. No. 1873. at ST.. 1900
2 manicure sets, No. 1874. at $555.. ITO
2 manicure sets, No. 1925. at $3.50 $50
2 manicure sets, No. 5725. at $2.25.. 45O
1 manicure set. No. 797............... $3.50 |
1 manicure set. No. 072i........"... 430 |
1 manicure set, No. 6730............. 1855 !
1 manicure set, No. 853.............. 865 I
Leather goods played lively part in !
the Congressional stationery" market.
Bags. purses, and brief-cases totaled 298 |
for that year. There were about 10000
greeting cards. and lot Of birth announce =
ments. some valentines. pink program
pencils, at-home cards. and dinner-cards .
Pocket-knives totaled 270. while the num- :
Der Of fountain pens reached only 1877.
A certain municipality. somewhere In
Michigan as recall. once bought an In
eersoll watch from the proceeds Of TWEEN
ty-year bond sale. There may be nothing
analogous in this Congressional purchase.
but zone Ingersoll Triumph watch" Is in
cluded in the stationery account for 1917.
Somebody, on page 1888. had zone watch re-
paired"
Back in the boudoir budget forgot to
mention zone fam"
PAGE 1873. where the "fan" figures, shows
also