Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
Capital Sideligl,ts

Mr.. Cooper was importuned to make
an address in Alexandria about the
Philippines and the Orient. The late
William Jennings Bryan had been
scheduled to speak. but was prevented
by illness, and had recommended that
Mr.. Cooper be invited.
After the address Mr.. Cooper in chat
ting with some Of the leading Masons,
who had been describing TO him the
matchless collection of Washington
relics and memorabilia owned by the
Washington Lodge, advocated the erec-
ton of monumental memorial to
Washington as Mason In which these
Washingtoniana might be preserved
When they told him that Washington S
own lodge in Alexandria could not af-
ford to erect such structure. he adj
vised them to get the idea started and
that lodges all over the country would
contribute sufficiently to make the me-
mortal a reality.
They were so much taken with the
idea that a committee waited upon
Mr.. Cooper in his Office the next day
and the memorial project was soon
launched. and the imposing Masonic
Memorial to Washington is now nearing
completion.
The mail of members OF Congress
brings in many curiosities, no: only in
the line of chirography. grandiloquent
expression. presumptuous demands and
a display of rudimentary ignorance as
to the real duties of member of Con-
gress and the scope of legislation, but
L.
Representative Sol Bloom of New York
be able to get a pension for a needy
woman, who has since repeatedly writ
ten him that as soon as she could she
wanted to send him something nice
The other day he opened long. bulky
letter, to find the remnants of a cigar
and wadded tinfoil, inclosed with
which, was a notation: Il think this
must be a good one. so I am sending
it to you. but I don't know whether it
is good one or not"
The sad part of it is that no one
will ever know whether that particular
cigar would have been a good one or
not If smoked before 1t went through
the stamp cancellation operation. But
the sender will get letter of appreci-
alton from Mr.. Bloom just the same.
Congress got little lecture on bells
the other day, which emphasized that
our American bell founders cannot
supply bells for carlton purposes. The
carlton Representative Celler of New
York emphasized. Is the highest form
Of bell music and in fact the only form
that can be defined as an art is that
Of carlton. He explained that the
carlton differs from a chime in that
1t is more extensive in range OF notes.
1t contains all the SemitoneS Of the
chromatic scale. 1t requires bells of
the finest musical quality and tone,
1t usually has three octaves or about
IS bells. Its maximum compass Of
range Is SO bells or four and one-half
octaves. The action and console Of a
carlton Is similar to the keyboard of
piano or organ. There are usually
two rows for the hands and two rows
for the feet. The player is called a
carilloneur. who sits on a bench and
plays like an organist.
In carlton music there is a great
variety OF melodies. with harmonies
and chords like on an organ or piano.
Mr.. Celler introduced the testimony
of Frederick G. Mayer, organist and
choirmaSter of the United States Mill
tary Academy. and Of Walter Damrosh
10 the effect that a fine carlton is as
precious as a violin by Stradivarius,
Mr. Mayer said:
The art of casting and tuning bells OF
the highest musical quality was known
and extensively practiced in Flanders
several hundred years ago. But this art
tof carillon). like that of the old Ital-
ian makers OF master violirls. soon be-
came lost: In the case Of bells the art
has been rediscovered only within the
present generation. This rediscovery
has occurred in England. and a revival
IN the old carlton art is in full swing
in England. Holland and Belgium.
In Belgium there is q national school
Of carlton playing maintained by the
Belgian government. where the art of q
carilloneur Is taught with as great
artistic thoroughness. pursued through
years Of serious devotion, as that con-
nected with other branches of the art
Of music. The comparison OF the l3-note
console of what Is often spoken OF as
our best native chime that in the tower
OF the Cadet Chapel West Point. ". Y.
with the 45-note console of the finest
carlton now In the world. that In the
tower OF the cathedral of Malines. Bel
gum, would be like comparing q ch,ld'S
toy piano keyboard OF one octave of
white keys only with a standard piano
Keyboard OF full and complete COMPASS
And the difference In the music possible
from these two sets OF bells Is like ccn,-
pairing the playing OF child with that
OF mature artist"
There Is q man receiving small
1tStr i,s
an authority on speedometers 10 such
an extent that his testimony is accep,-
Cd by the courts. who furnishes his own
TOOLS and works at home nights testing
and repairing speedometers for the
Police Department. thereby saving
large amount Of money and valuable
time. who has 10 do this extra work for
nothing
Maj. Hesse explained this situation
10 the House appropriations commit
tee as follows:
Il would like to discuss a proposition
providing that the Commissioners be
authorized to employ the electrician III
the District Building TO repair speedom~
etcrs at such cost as they may approve.
payment hereunder 10 be In addition
10 MS regular compensation.
We used Ia test our SpeedometerS on
a mile track on Sixteenth street. There
was not anything accurate about that.
and We finally got the National Electric
Supply Co. 10 take over the repairs OF
the speedometers and test them II
cost uS n lot OF money, and sometimes
we were as long as 80 days getting the
speedometcrs back. We found man
employed In the District Building who
could do 1t,
THAT man has been repairing our
spcedometers after Office hours, lie Is
qualified as an expert. and IN the courts
his testimony Is taken and accepted
But II Is unjust 10 have that man do
this work and not he able 10 I've campeN~
stated for II, The controller general
has ruled that because the amount We
paid him and the salary he gets
amounts Ia over $4,000 n year, they
would not allow him 10 be paid by IT'S
lie Is still doing the work"