Evening star., 1923-03-04
CAPITOL NOT DESERTED
WHEN CONGRESS is IDLE
Wheels of Big Legislative Establishment
Keep Going Round, Despite Absence
of the Lawmakers.

means a full summer schedule ada pt-
ing certain furniture to make it more
available.
The work of sending out publica-
tions from the document room and
folding room goes on all the time.
The office of the clerk of the House
is never closed-in fact, he is the
House during this hiatus of Congress-
He will be in constant correspondence
with members who are away. For
the next two months inquiries will
be pouring in as to what happened to
this or that bill, and persons affected
by some law or another will seek
advice and ask for copies.
Prepare for New Members.
Things have to be made ready for
the new members of Congress. Some
1870 will be preparing for their new
duties. and that will result in many
inquiries.
In the interim the clerk of the
House. William Tyler Page, must GER
tify the compensation of all members
elect, there being no Speaker or COM
mittees, except the committee on ac-
counts. which is the only continuous
committee.
The disbursing office of the House
has pay roll of some 1.400 individ-
uals. including clerks to members. To
those clerks who go home with the
member to work in their districts
checks are sent, and there is large
mailing list.
Then in midsummer, just before the
beginning of the new fiscal year, all
contracts have to be made for sup
plies for the new year. This includes
many things-ice, laundry, towels.
stationery. carrying the mails and
for all kinds of small stores.
The post office of the House is a
busy place when Congress is not in
session. All mail that comes here
for membcrs-and there is a great
deal of it--haS to be readdressed to
the members homes.
Wheels Cannot BE Stopped,
There is no appreciable cessation OF
business except OH the floor of the
House. The old wheels keep turning
around and the stokers keep the
steam up, to continue the simile OF
the ship of state. 1t is an erroneous
impression that when the House ad-
to be obvious to any one who thinks
what big establishment the legis-
lative branch of this government is
and how 1t ramties.
Immediately after adjournment the
clerks of some sixty committees are
required to turn in to the clerk of
the House all the papers of the. COM
mittee in connection with legislation ,
for this Congress. These papers are ,
classified and placed in the archives
and made available for future Con-
crosses. This is a. task in itself. re-
quiring three or four months appli- |
cation. For the preservation of these !
papers large storerooms are required |
in the Capitol, in the House Office =,
building and in the Congressional Lii |
brary. In the Congressional Library !
there is big collection of historic |
papers belonging to the House. the |
clerk being authorized by law to !
make such deposits. which are con-
sidered part of the files of the House |
of Representatives.
Another thing-members have the |
binding privilege-that is, they are all |
lowed to have one copy of each docu- !
ment published during their terms |
bound. The document rooms are now
crowded with documents to be bound |
on the acquisitions of members. All |
these must be checked up, and for six |
they will be coming back from |
the government printing office and |
shipped out to the members.
Two Months Moving Day.
There is also big job in removal at |!
the House office building. The outgo- |
ing members have to be moved out, !
Grated and packed, and their old offices |
have to be prepared for the incoming |
new members. This necessitates Il !
great deal of shifting of equipment. :,
Moving day in the House Office building |
lasts about two months.
The office Of the clerk of the House |
all during the recess will be besieged |
with letters and telegrams on matters |
the members forgot or on new questions |
that arise. The members know that |,
from the clerks Office they will get |
service and promut response, and this |
in itself encourages a great deal OF
Ali of these operations while the |
House is not in session are more or less |
under the observation of the clerk of |
the House, who is very much like a |
stage manager or a master Of ceremo- |
nies. taking care of all the details that |
enable the House to function smoothly. |