The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-25
BY RODNEY BUTCHER MIA Service. Writer

| Washlngton-Ihe weil-known sen- ..tes which never really did do very ] much for the unemployed anu drought sufferers despite frequent promises to fight the house anu the administration to tlnish on that is- sue, was more or less consistent when 1t reused to spend $5OU,OOV Aor the purpose of letting the blessed .,u nsnine into the senate chamber.
 There was a proposition to move the present chamber bodily to the north wall of the Capitoiis sennte wing, so the sun could get in. And the money had been appropriated. Amazingly enough, the senate de- cided to turn the half million dol lars back into the treasury. But onlyA after. extensive debate on the question whether the present cham Der might be considered 9 death- trap or a pleasant place where old [gents might prolong their years Some of; the windiest boys in the senate were. at their best in this argument. 5a s
 Senator Royal. s.. Copeland, who used to be health commissioner or l New " ork. city and is now the self appointed unofficial health commits sioner of the senate,4 was endors-; ing an appropriation. bill amend- ment which would keep the ahalf million. appropriated in 1929 for the reconstruction of; the senate wing, available until spent. Dave Reed of Pennsylvania objected that the present chamber was adequate in all respects acoustics, ventila- tion and charm - and that the treasury needs the money worse than the. senate needed 8 change. "
 Points to Death Rate
 Hiram Bingham of Connection. disputed that, referring to the chamber, as "a bomb-proof cellar devised at a time when senators were afraid somebody might throw a bomb into this body" He, com plained of the high senatorial death rate, declaring that for seven or eight years about three of. the 96 senators had died annually.
 Copeland complained that not only were senators being deprived of the violet rays which would reach them if they sat with the sun streaming through windows, but that the, sloping wooden floors of the senate and house chambers made. firetraps of the big halls. with carelessness or electric wiring be- meath likely to start a blaze any time. itfI ~
 of. we were to wake up in the morning and read that tn is beauti- full structure had been ruined or the building had been mutilated < we could hardly face our constituents or the, public" he said.
 "Nothing can be more insanitary and unhealthful than to live in 2 room devoid of natural light. Just | a little sunlight filters through two of the entrances. We work in ar tificial light and the situation is dangerous to health. The life o1 many faithful senator must have been shortened by it, for the pen alty is paid by those most faithful in attendance and a premium IS placed on absence. Since have been in the senate, 36 or 37 sena- tors have died, if remember cor rectly." Copeland came here In 1923.)
 Says He Can stand It
 The senator explained that he himself had been blessed "by he. redity and kind providence with g strong, vigorous body" and was capable of resisting the evil physi- cal influences as we'll as any, but that the country wanted senators l tO i've uHucT sCoHuANAoHS WAhSi will make their bodies healthy bodies and their thinking clear thinking.",
 Ashurst of Arizona insisted that everyone knew senators who had served for 30 years or more years when the chamber was, poorly ven, , tilated. Recently one had beer buried who had served 354 years , |No man, Ashurst said. had revel been known to refuse election t lthe senate because he thought tn. chamber was an unhealthy place And in the. chambers 70-year his tory there had been no fire of con. sequence. Why. worry?
 ; Hefiin of Alabama declared hs had seen ''men come here who were frall and thin and in a little while lafter laboring in this invigoratinf lana health h-restoring atmosphere be ! come vigorous and strong" Al ,laround him he saw fine, robust :, ,lwideawake senators 4.enjoying thu 2 best of health. He had asked sev Ieral if they planned to resign bs | cause they weren't getting any SUI land they all denied IL. .l Defcntls .Prcecnt Arrangement Tn fact: nearly every member 2 1.-the house yearued for A senAf' Y & s t " ,s 1s # 7 Y . < E flf s Y x <.