The Washington times., 1922-07-30
CONGRESSIONAL
REPORTERS ARE
RAPID WORKERS
Twelve Shorthand Men Kept
Busy Taking Down Words
@ of Statesmen.
BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON.
{ ~ International News Service. -

BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHlNSON,
{ International News Service.
Millions of words are banded
about in Congressional debate, but
every one of them finds its way to
the printed pages Of the permanent
Congressional Record through the
ability of twelve official steno-
graphic reporters. .-.T
9. -. g.. Speed Msrvelss,
These twelve men, who probably
have heard more speeches than any
other men In tho country. are
speed marvels in transmitting the
spoken word to printed hierographs
later to be translated into the
official documents The recent ad.
journment of the House brought a
welcome vacation to half Of them.
while the remainder still toll away
I'm the Senate.
The Congressional reporters are
enthusiastic over their calling.
They are always eager to have con-
rected versions given the public
when some slight error slips into
their work. An amusing mistake
occurred some time ago when SEN
ator Jim" Reed, of Missouri, was
attacking VOlsteadism.
The sacred rights of the ancient
Britisher extended to his curtilage,"
said Reed, In referring to the Brit
ish law that a mans home 10 his
castle.
Stenographer Makes Error.
Instead of curtilage the reporter
wrote 1t garage" and the laugh
was on Reed until the error was
corrected.
Slips Of this kind, however. are
few and far between. Some Sena.
tors and Congressman are harder
to take" than others. while each
reporter has his favorite.
On the Senate side, Senators
King (Dem.) Of Utah; Wadsworth
(Rep.), of New York: Reed (Dem.),
OF Missouri, and Pomerene Dem.).
of Ohio, are the easiest to report
They speak clearly, more often
slowly and with perfect enuncia-
ton.
Senator Walsh Dem.). OF Mon.
tana, also Is well liked, for he
speaks as does Senator Shortridge
CRep.), Of California, with deliber.
Senator Ashurst Dem.), OF Arizona,
swiftly but distinctly. His flow
Of oratory is replete with strange
words, but each is enunciated per-
fectly, and the reporters follow"
Lodge Is Troublesome"
Senator Lodge (Rep.), Of Massa-
chusetts, is one of the trouble
some" Senators. Lodge seldom
speaks in a loud tone, but once he
is angered, as frequently occurs
when he indulges in debate. his
words are twisted and whipped out
much to the dismay OF the report
ers. The late Senator Penrose
(Rep), of Pennsylvania, was one
the reporters say, He was always
and dash" men.
IN the House Speaker Gillett
Rep), of Massachusetts,; Jim"
Mann. of Illinois; Joe" Walsh. Of
Massachusetts,; Republican Lead
er Mondell. OF Wyoming; Garrett.
of Tennessee, and Moore, Of Vir-
ginia, are favorites.
The difficulty in reporting Con-
gressional debates" said Fred Ire
land, dean" Of the House report
ers, "is not in following one speak
er, but in trying to follow three or
four who constantly interrupt each
other. and when several speak ut
the same time.
1T Is the clear tone Of voice and
coherent expression of ideas that
count most in our favor in taking
notes. With these qualities present
1t does not matter whether the speak
er is fast or slow. We will get him
easily then"
Billy Sundays Prayer.
Billy Sunday a while back made
short prayer in the House. Few
men speak faster than Sunday, but
Ireland copied him with ease. A
little later Sunday saw the printed
copy of his prayer and told Ireland
It was the first time in his life he
had ever been reported to his COM
plete satisfaction.
The total printed output Of Con-
gressional debate fills some 420 900
pages. or this amount one.half has
been produc ed since the Inauguration
Of Theodore Roosevelt.