Evening star., 1926-08-08
Capital Sideligghts

Just out of high school Capper as n
youth entered Topeka and got a job
as printers devil.
His guests on his birthday come
from orphan asylums, industrial
schools. from his home for crippled
from his pig. chicken and
canning clubs for boys and girls. pO-
litical henchmen, those whom he aids
and counselS in social welfare work.
They come in ovelalls and silks, baby
carriages and flivverS.
The children get all the ice cream
and lemonade and candy, canes. horns,
ferris wheel rides, substan-
tial lunches rides on the merryGT-
round and other outing park attraC-
tions that they can crowd into the
fullest. freest and happiest day Of
their young lives.
One of the guests was a 16-yearold
youth. Leonard West. who weighs
335 pounds. Gov. Paulen also attend
ed the fete and announced that 1t was
his birthday. too. One woman brought
trousers and told Senator Capper that
she had attended his first birthday IT
years ago as a schoolgirl.
X X n X
Representative John NJ. RobsiOn,
from the eleventh Ken
tucky district. has the unique distinc-
ton this year of being unOpposed for
reelection. as this condition has never
before obtained in the history of that
district.
AS an illustration of the new spirit
in Congress, taking pride in the de-
velOpment of the Nations Capital in
stead of the old habit of censuring eff
forts to make the city of Washington
one of unequal led beauty and advance
ment. we quote from remarks of Rep
Allen r. Treadway. Re
publican, of Massa chlsetts, a promi-
nent member of the House funds-rais-
ing committee, to members of the
Great harrington Mems club. Speak
ing Of the $165 900 900 public buildings
bill, he said: There are two reasons
for the large item for the city Of
Washington. First. the practical one
Of the needs of the Government. With
the increase of the amount of business
to he transa cted by the Government it
has been necessary to rent at high
prices private quarters within the city
of Washington. There are also in use
many of the hastily built and poorly
war buildings. which are
now hardly fit for occupancy. There
is another side to construction IN
We shington. 1t is our Capital city, OF
which all American people should be
very proud. The erection of fine build
ngs adds both to the utilitarian and
attractive appearance of the city.
Wa shington has grown very rapidly
in the last few years. Whatever con-
struction is done by the Government
should be substantial and ornamental
i nd in keeping with the best traditions
Of the National Capital
X X u
Members of Congress are taking an
unusual interest in all conservation
questions this year and especially in
care of the trees during the warm
Summer season. The other day Rep
Martin l.. Davey of Ohio
who in private life heads a big tree
surgery company, sent circular let
ter to every member of Congress and
to every community throughout the
United States advising regarding the
proper watering of trees during the
torrid season.
Now comes Representative John
Morrow of New Mexico, who inserts
an editorial on Trees" in the Con-
Record, emphasizing what
we owe TO trees:
The health and prosperity of every
person, of every age and sex, and ot
every stratum of society depend very
much on the services forests render
us We receive either directly or in
directly from the forests food, cloth
ing. shelter, health. happiness, recrea-
ton and inspiration.
THE leaves OF trees absorb the poi
sonouS gases given off by the breath
of man and beast and created by the
burning of wood, coal, gas and OIL
thus purifying the air and giving us
oxygen.
Certain trees give us fruits. nuts.
berries, maple sirup. tlavoring extracts
a nd other foods. All trees contribute
to our food supply by preventing the
erosion of farm lands, which is GER
tain to result from the constant wash
ing of rains and SHOWS on lands that
have not the protection of the roots
Of trees.
Trees make possible the health
building sports of fishing and hunt
Ing by preventing the pollution and
flooding of our streams and furnish
ing sanctuary for the f,,rred and
feat hered denizens of the woods.
"'rrees> advance the intelleCtuality
or our people by furnishing the raw
material for the making of paper
wood pulp. Without trees we could
not have the vast amount of printed
and written matter that has such
large part in the rapid progress of our
land
"'Frees furnish wood fibers that are
used in the making of clothing. Trees
very largely to sustaining
sheep, from which we obtain wool for
They make possible the per
petuation of the animals of the wild
from which we obtain furs.
''rrees have large part in our
systems of transportation and com
lnunica entering into the
building of ships. railroad cars and
automobiles. and more than o.0oo.000
trees are being cut each year for tele-
phone poles.
Trees shelter the birds, and the
birds destroy the insects which do
such tremendous damage to our crops
and vegetation. Trees diminish the
force of wind, protecting our homes
and buildings Trees have an impor-
tant influence on climate. giving nloiS-
ture in dry weather and thus prevent
ing parching temperatures. Trees
bea utify the country and make the
out of doors an attractive place for
The motorist. the hunter, the camper,
the hiker. the nature lover
y
Few men write their own epitaphs,
but it was typical of Thomas .Jeifer-
son to do so. Representative Arthur
II. Greenwood of Indiana comments
From the long inventory of achieve
ments and honors bestowed upon
him jefferson selected three items by
which he wished to be judged by his
Maker and remembered by his fel-
low men. He discarded all official
honors. which We're many, and simply
had inscribed on his tomb this very
significant phrase:
Here is buried Thomas Jefferson
author of the Declaration of 1ndepend-
ance, and of the statutes of Viz
ginia for religious freedom. and father