Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-22
DAVEY CHALLENGES
ATTACKSON RECORD
Defends Own Work and
Again Demands Reorganiza-
ton of U. S. Offices.

Recognized in the House today on
a question of high personal privilege,
representative Davey, Democrat, of
Ohio brought his fight with Govern
ment employees and their defenders
squarely before the attention of his
colleagues. He declared that the at
tacks on his personal record in Con
gress made by Representative Moore.
Democrat of Virginia: by former Rep
resentative Stengle Of New York and
by the employees organization ignore
the real issue, which he says is ter
rife waste in the Government and
the appalling lack of efficient service"
incidentally. Mr.. Davey voiced his
conviction that racing from the House
Office Building to the House chamber
like a bell boy to answer a roll call
does not constitute real service to his
constituents
Mr.. Davey challenged any fellow
member to show better service to his
district. emphasized that he spent all
of his salary az member of Congress
for extra clerk hire and expenses.
that he opens up a special office for
the service of his constituents in their
home cities and gets in some free ad-
vertising for his own private business
as a tree surgeon.
He said people are thinking in
terms of the cost of government as
they have not thought before" and
that several million American citi-
zens. including soldiers, taxpayers
and others. have had personal expert
ence with the inefficiency of the Gov
eminent at Washington and cannot
he deceived by any efforts to throw
dust in their eyes"
Defends Record
Il want to emphasize" Mr.. Davey
said. that anything which may be
said about my own record would not
justify the enormous and inexcusable
waste in the Government. 1t is con-
spicuous fact that these criticisms of
me practically all ignore the real
issue.
Il have been a member of Congress
for something over five years and have
never made any claim of answering
all the roll calls. the vast ma iority of
which are merely calls to hear some
one make political speech Of no con-
sequence to Congress or to the coun.
try. l am inclined to think that a
member of Congress who answers all
roll calls faithfully will have little time
left to get important things done for
his district.
"On the other hand. do lay claim
very positively to having given my
district most unusual type and
quantity of service. l do not believe
that there is another district in the
country that has had better service
and l doubt IL there are many that
equal 1t.
During little more than five years
l have given service through my of.
I Ron
the fourteenth Ohio district. This in.
cludes every one from the high school
boy who wants information for an es.
say to the agent of an orga MIA ton or
| the mead of great corpora ton. The
! people of my district know from &C.
tual experience that their matters are
well and promptly handled. l doubt
If any member of the House handles
as much mail unless 1t might be com.
mittee chairmen.
Spends Salary on Office.
1T might be Interesting also to
state that l spend all of my congress.
sional salary for extra clerk hire and
expenses. and have never had a dollar
of 1t for myself. It has cost me five
or six hundred dollars a month out
of my private income to handle my
congressional work, not counting cam
paign expenses. My secretary makes
! regular trips through the district, al
my expense, stopping at each of the
| important towns, and giving notice in
! the papers ahead of time that he viii
| be there to meet the people and take
care of their problems with the Gov.
! eminent. 1t is a significant fact tina,
majority of those who come to me
! for help complain that they cannot
get an answer to their letters or tina,
! they cannot get a decision from the
| Government. either yes or no.
Il do take pride in the fact that
get things done for the people of my
district who have continued to sent
me here. 1t strikes me that this Is in
| finitely more important than answer
ing meaningless roll calls and merely
recording myself present. 1t would
be easy to ascertain in my district
the reputation which I hold fol-
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