Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-14
Capital Sidelights

Il
some of the old members are taking
a decided interest. Lehr F'ess, parlia-
mnntarian of the House, is the
professor.
Experience has shown that the new
| member who comes here and by dint
of hard work and close application
learns the rules and method of proce-
dure, and who knows how to defend
| his rights on the floor. and how to
| prevent being taken off his feet by
| some technicality. usually goes far
becomes powerful in the House, and
| renders valuable service
| The general run of new members
! find they know little or nothing about
! parliamentary procedure, the rules of
the House. and the method of working
! through legislation in which their con
| stltuentS are particularly interested.
1t was to meet this double condition
that the school of parliamentary pro-
| cedure was organized by Representa-
| tive Thomas A. Jenkins, Republican,
| of Ohio. who served two terms as
prosecuting attorney and in the Ohio
| State Senate. Instead of going
| to Parliamentarian F'ess with their
problems, the members who enrolled
| in this school have persuaded Mr.. Fess
| to give them a regular course of lee.
lures on the principal broad divisions
| of procedure that they should know.
Mr.. FeSs is a son of Senator Simeon
| ID. Fess, Republican, of Ohio, and be
| fore specializing in parliamentary
study was a college professor, so tina
| he is particularly well qualified to act
| as instructor to the new members
| The class meets twice d week, Tues
| day and Saturday mornings, at 8
o'clock in the judiciary committee
| room in the House Office Building.
! The course is designed to run for five
weeks, but 50 enthusiastic have some
| Of the members become that they are
already urging that it be continued
| indefi nitely.
Mr.. tess carefully prepares himself
/ for the instruction. He gives d lee
| ture during which the members are
at liberty to interrupt with questions
| pertinent to that particular subject
then, after the regular instruction
there is a general quiz period during
| which any member can ask questions
! on any problem he may have in con
nection with his legislative duties
| The lectures already delivered by
, the parliamentarian show the broad
! scope Of the course and how invai-
| liable it is to new members, with a
general result that the business OF
the House will be transacted more
| orderly and the legislative wheels re.
| volve more smoothly.
Among the subjects discussed have
! been: % Origin of the Rules of the
House: GU Provisions in the Consti.u-
| ton affecting the rights and privileges
| Of members and rules: ~ Preparation
/ of bills and their introduction: a. Ref
| erence of bills to committees and com
mlttee Jurisdiction. 81 Procedure in
committee; 90 Reports by committees
and reference to the calendars
Mrs. Edith Nourse Rogers of Massa-
chusetts, graduate Of the famous Rog-
erS Hall School and the Madame Jul
liens School in Paris, and personal
representative Of both Presidents
Harding and Coolidge in the care of
disabled veterans. is one Of the most
interested attendants at this parlia-
mentary school. Another is her col
league, George r. Stobbs, Republican J,
of Massachusetts. who has an A b.
an A. NJ. and an Ii. b. from Harvard
and been special justice of the Central
District Court Of his home State
Then we also see as an apt student
of procedure Representative Ebert S.
Brigham Of Vermont, who was a mem
Der Of the New England National Ag-
ricultural Advisory Committee and of
the United States Food Administration
in Washington with Secretary Hoover.
who was Vermont State commissioner
of agriculture. a college trustee and
director of banking and insurance cor
| porationS. Still another is Representa-
! tive Franklin w. Fort Of New Jersey
who was also on Hoover's staff with
| the Food Administration, and since
then president. director and manager
of about dozen banking and insur-
| ance companies.
! Representative Frederick w. Ma.
| grady of Pennsylvania is another out
| standing attendant at the Tess school
/ of procedure. He used TO be a teacher
! himself, is a member of the American
! Bar Association and the American
Academy of Political and Social
| Science, during the World War was
director of the Four Minute Men and
| other patriotic drives. and since then
| an officer in nearly a score of banking
| building and loan and mercantile en-.
| terprises.
Others i'll the school are also men of
/ note who have won their way and are
| determined to make the most of their
! time in CongreSS-Such men as r
| Dickinson Let's Of Iowa. who served
! for 2 years as d district judge: Rep
| resentative Sol Bloom of New York
| who built most of New York S Great
! White Way. and who is a power be
| hind the scenes in the theatrical pro
| fession; and Representative John NJ
| Wolverton Of West Virginia. who has
| long been powerful in politics, mayor
| Of his home town and prosecuting at
| torney of his county for four years.
! X
| His colleagues in the cloak room OF
| the House are telling an amusing
| story at the expense Of Representa-
l tive Martin L. Davey. Democrat. of
! Ohio. who has provoked the ire of the
| army Of Government employees by call.
ing them the champion idlers, buck
passers and shirkers of the world.
| According to this story, last year a
| gerrymander measure for redistricting
| Ohio was being pushed. and in the re
districting Mr.. Davey would have
been put in the same district with
Representative John insolvency. Ir
anticipation of this Mr.. Davey moved
from Kent to Akron. But Gov. Vic
| Donahey put the gerrymander in his
pocket and apparently lost 1t. Their
Mr.. Davey moved back to his old home
town, and isn't worried any more
about being reelected to Congress as
long as he cares to come.
| Uncle Sam is constantly improving
the surroundings Of the Capitol Build
ing, which is the very heart Of oui
! Government and the workshop of the
| 535 chosen representatives of the
| American people to frame their laws
of government. There were plant
ed last year on the Capitol grounds
6 American holly trees, English
holly, IL boxwoods. II yews, 4 Japa
rese holly, 10 Pyrocontha thorns, &C
azalea in variety, 2 Schwedleri ma
piles, sweet gums, s dogwoods,
magnolias, birches, 3 Japanese an6
2 pink thorn trees.