Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-07
FARMER-LABOR CONGRESSMAN
CENTERED IN PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT
Decision on Organization of
House May Rest With
Representative Kvale.
Election of Senator SchaII
Gives G. O. P. Control
Without ShipStead.

UIIIIOut SIiIpolC0Us
With membership Of the House and
Senate so closely divided between Re-
publicans and Democrats in the new
Congress, two tall, comparatively young
statesmen from the NorthweSt-Senato
Henrik Shipstead and Representative
Paul j. Kvale of Minnesota-will hold
the limelight of public attention as the
sole members Of the Farmer-Labor
party in their respective branches.
Representative Kvale, upon whose
shoulders may rest in large part the
final decision on organization in the
House, is not yet IS, and Senator Ship
stead, although he has seven years Of
vigorous legislative service to his credit,
is just approaching so.
Parties Are Closely Matched.
With the two major parties SO closely
matched in Senate lineup of 48
Republicans and AZ Democrats, Henrik
Shipstead, the lone Farmer-Labor Sen
ator, seems destined to play an i'm
portant role in deliberations Of the
Upper Branch of the Seventy
Congress.
on the question of which party will
organize the new Senate his vote will
as 1t would have been If his colleague,
Senator Thomas D. Schall, Republican,
of Minnesota, had been defeated. For
a day or so in the counting of ballots
Schall was trailing behind Einar Hoi~
dale his Democratic opponent. II
Hoidale had won the political score,
the Senate would have stood at It
Democrats and Al Republicans. In that
situation Senator Shipstead's vote would
have decided which party would or
ganize the Senate. If, in that Situa-
ton, the Farmer-Laborite voted with
the Republicans for the purpose of or
ganizing the Senate, as he has done in
the past, the count would be tied. When
a tie occurs, the Vice President is en-
titled to vote. Such set of circum-
stances would have brought the Re-
publican Vice President, Charles Cur
It's, into the inelight as the deciding
factor.
Shipstead Is Enigma.
With Senator Schan elected, however,
the Republicans have 48 Senate votes,
so that even If the Democrats could
count on the one Farmer-Labor vote
for organization purposes, there would
still be a tie. If Senator Shipstead
follows the course he has pursued in
the past the Republicans would have
40, or a majority, to organize the Sen
ate without necessity Of the Vice Presi-
dent voting.
Beyond the question of organizing
the Senate at the opening of a new
Congress, however, Senator Shipstead
is one of the independent progressives
who will hold the balance of power on
major questions of legislation. During
his seven years of service Senator
IND
thought and Judgment on outstanding
issues that have arisen.
Rep. Kvale was "a years old on
March 81 of this year and was elected
to the House on October Is, 1929 to
fill the unexpired term of his father,
Representative and Rev. o. j. Kvale,
following the latter's tragic death by
fire while asleep in his summer camp,
on September IL, 1929 He has just been
reelected over Republican opponent.
He@served for two years with the Amer1-
can forces during the World War. He
married Miss Russell Palmer Burcher
of Newport News, Va, five years ago.
KvaIe Known Here.
Long before he became House MEM
Der, however, Paul Kvale was well
known about the Capital and in WASH
ington musical circles. He served for
six years as his fathers secretary, cam
paign manager and confidential adviser,
and has become well known throughout
the entire government service.
His father was an ordained Lutheran
minister and the sole Farmer-Laborite
in the House. Paul learned his politics
literally at his fathers knee and grew
up with them, taking a keen interest
in what has become known as La Fol-
letteism He came to Congress pledged
to carry on his fathers principles, and
with characteristic bravery to carry out
those principles no matter at what cost.
In the House he has differed openly
and vigorously with the Republican
party leaders when he thought they
were wrong and the interests of the
people who sent him here to represent
them were in conflict He has been
looked to as the herald of an active,
articulate and insistent third party IN
the House.
That is why the balance Of power"
in his hands is causing grave Specula-
ton and concern to hidebound party
leaders because they know he has the
stomach to exercise all the power he
has, not for temporary advantage of
either Republican or Democratic party,
but to further the cause of the farm
too, that it will not be used for self
exploitation by this really level
headed young man.
Had Completed Survey.
That he is a young man of destiny Is
shown by the queer quirk of fate in his
having just completed an intensive sur
vey of the entire district before his
father died. In that canvass he had
gone into every important center to
study needs Of the people and to advise
with them how best their Representa-
tive could serve them in Washington
and he was performing those services
when death called his father
So thorough had been this work that
when Paul Kvale decided to become a
candidate to succeed his father and
carry out his principles, he found it
necessary to wage an extensive campaign.
He was elected because the voters had
confidence that he would pursue the
course of his father. Their votes last
Tuesday returning him to the House are