Evening star., 1923-03-18
BIZ ARTHUR JAMES.


IF you are desirous Of navigating
pathways that are of the unusual
sort, go up to the Capitol and
ask to be shown around the
folding room of the House Of Repre-
sentatives. You will not only have
also meet a man who has a job that
taxes the patience: a man who for
forty years has had charge of all
the books, speeches, documents,
maps and other things that are placed
to the credit of members of the
House. If you can get him to tell you
how many things Of this sort he has
handled you will gather some idea of
the immensity of his job.
At a little desk down under the
"A north wing of the House sits j.
Martin Mckee, whose official title Is
foreman OF the folding room. At
this desk he has, during his nearly
forty years Of service. issued orders
that resulted in literally millions Of
citizens Of this country being sup
piled with some sort of official gov
ernment publications and has directed
the issuance Of over 100000 maps of
the United States to the people.
AS you sit at his desk and watch
him work you can realize why 1t is
that he has been retained IN his
present position. no matter what tho
political complexion OF the House has
been, for he fairly radiates efficiency.
He is one OF those persons of whom
it may be said that as soon as you
ask q question you have the answer.
There is no hesitation, not for a mo-
ment, and Just to test him the writer
asked about a publication that had
been issued during the Fifty-third-
the Tom Reed-Congress. Mckee told
what it was, and. II memory serves
correctly, he told part Of the oon-
tents.
In this generation We are prone to
talk In millions, but IL you stop and
try to count to that total you will
find that tho word million has a
greater significance than would ap-
pear at first blush.
During the timo that he has been
at the head Of this branch of the
folding rooms activities he has
caused to be sent out moro than TO-
000.0 900 books, and so far no member
Of the lower branch Of Congress has
ever made a complaint as to the man
ner in which his quota of books, maps,
speeches, etc, was handled.
A survey of the records kept in
McKee's office discloses the fact that
during the time he has been in charge
more than 300,000,000 bulletins and
books have been sent out from his
Office. II one has the time and in
clination to figure out how long a
strip Of paper these would make he
will have q task that will show q to-
tai of many millions Of but the
reader, in order to appreciate the re-
suit. must figure It out for himself.
Each member Of the House is al
lowed, under the law, about 1000
pieces Of literature every year. Some
Of them do not use all of the quota.
For instance, the man with district
that is located entirely in the confines
class of matter say, agricultural re-
ports, 50 he goes to the man from a
rural district and makes a trade with
him. Then they both notify Mckee.
who has to switch tho records. and
never must be make q mistake. for
all of the members have some use for
all the documents they have as their
portion. They use them to show their
constituents that the latter are re-
membered by the man they sent to
Washington. ~
X 4 4
DURNG the last Congress Mckee
and his force folded, that is put
In envelopes, over s2,ooo.oeo speeches.
and, according to him. q session Just
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