Evening star., 1933-03-26
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

0X WILL r. ACNNEDx.
Hall q century Of devoted service ir
the Civil Service Commission was com.
pleted last Thursday by Matthew F
Halloran, who is today the only sur.
vivor Of the original organization. DR.
John T. Doyle, for many years secre-
tary Of the commission, was also ir
the original organization as law clerk
but he retired from the service June sc
last. Mr.. Halloran was appointed
March %, 1888.
But Mr.. Halloran had previously
seen seven years of service Tor the
Government. starting Is page In the
HouSe Of Representatives, in 1876 dur
ing the strenuous Tilden-EIayes cam
paign. He was working as a clerk on
the tenth census when selected for the
position of messenger at $500 a yeaI
with the new Civil Service Commission
one of the two appointive positions
created by the organic act.
Because Of his wide personal acquain-
tance among the Civil Service employees
and the administrative officials, Mr.
many years as contact representative
OF the commission.
Five years ago, william G. Deming
mission, in writing the foreword to a
book called "The Romance Of the Merit
System" written by Mr.. Halloran, said
by al the rules Of realism and fancy
the romance Of the Federal merit syS-
tenn Is Matthew F. Halloran.
From messenger boy to chief Of an
Important section, and today Naison
ofncer between the Civil Service Com
mission and all the Government depart
ments-a concrete example Of the pos
slbalities OF the service. It should be an
to every American boy and
girl who may start out alone to make q
place in the world"
This book, The Romance OF the
Merit System" now in second edition,
Is an intensely interesting volume, an
handbook and one that
shows the heart Of the civil service-an
epic OF popular government. 1t is used
as o reference book on the subject by
members Of Congress and Government
omcials, in colleges and libraries.
OF the United States Department Of AZ
ricwture which is Just about to close,
Is Q beautiful memorial 10 the far
seeing vision and zeal Of one Of the "un-
sung heroes" OF the humdrum life OF O
Government employee. M. Byrnes,
who originated the show and the special
interest Of the Department Of Agricul-
ture in this particular flower.
The Department Of Agriculture's pres
ent collection OF $500 bulbs Of Hippea-
strum hybrids (house amarylus) was de-
veloped by successive cross pollination
from the following IL varieties imported
from England July 81, 1909: Diana,
Venus, Scraps, Progress, Achilles, Grim
son King, Vesta, Virgin Queen, Mon
arch, Bacchus, Adonis and Scarlet King.
The colors Of these varieties comprise
with red stripes.
When these bulbs lowered, Mr..
Byrnes, then superintendent Of the De-
partment Of Agriculture greenhouses
undertook by -pollination to de-
velop shades not included in the colors
of the original flowers. The flowers
were pollinated February IA, 1910; the
rlpened hybrid seed was gathered
March 26; it was sown IN seed boxes
on March %; the seedlings were shifted
70 2-inch pots on June 2, and to 4-inch
pots on August %, and to 6-inch pots
on January l6, 1911; to 8-inch pots on
November 22-and the seedlings were
In full bloom on March S, 1912. This
same schedule has been followed in the
cross-pollinations conducted each sue
cessive year for 81 years.
But having succeeded in starting the
Of new shades, Mr.. Byrnes
was not satisfied. He turned his at
tention to the problem of producing a
pure white amaryllis. The first cross
In this endeavor was made between a
white bulb and an orange
striped white bulb. In about two years
time the resulting seedlings bore flowers
OF which the two showing the most
white were again crossed. The seed
lngs from this cross were grown to
nowerlng size bulbs, and the process
was repeated. AL the bulbs resulting
from these crosses bore lighter flowers
tnan the parent bulbs and from the
s sniro cross early in February, 1918, two
DuIos We're obtained which bore white
mowers In March, 1920. These flowers
were small and not pure white. but sue
cesslVe selection and cross-pollination
nave brought about realization of the
ann 70 produce q good-sized white ANA
!!yMsImany specimens Of which are in
the show this year.
IN isl4, MI. Byrnes. desiring to de-
vote nus entire attention to the produc-
tlon OF tne white amaryllis, turned over
W nus son, j; Wise Byrnes, who was
associateo with him, the cross -pollina-
tion OF amarylis for the purpose Of
obtaining new shades. wise Byrnes
succeeded his father as superintendent
OF the greenhouses January /. 1924 and
since then he has carried on ali the
amaryllis hybridizing.
With the Towering Of each neu m,
lection Of seedlings, the white is iu,-
proved, new and subtle variations of
snaoe appear, and an increase in the
sue OF the flowers Is noticeable. Cross
poHnatlon Is being continued to i'm
prove existing types and to obtain new
colors, more shades and a further in
crease In the size Of the flowers,
~ ~
Woman's wit cut of tiresome souab-
oLng ana pootiess debate in the House
on 1hursday when the District beer
oui was pelng amended under the FIVE
minute rule. Mrs. Mary T. Norton of
New Jersey, chairman Of the District
committee in charge Of the bill. spread
the honeyed word that hastened action
Like the school teacher who promises
the children a nice red apple or an
earlier recess if they hurry up and get
their tasks done, Mrs. Norton said:
thought we had exhausted every
argument with reference to this SUBJ
]ect. I md that we are now in the
position OF wasting . great deal OF
time ON non-essentials. In view of the
information I have just received that
If we can finish the bill this after
noon, say " 4:30 o'clock, thes hard
working members Of the House will have
. little vacation until next Monday
sincerely hope YOU will as
sist by taking no unnecessary time. ]
am Is sure you are as anxious as am
to get away for a much needed rest. ]
hope the members of the House will
In the consideration of these
do not want to shut
Of any necessary debate on the bill
but ask you to be as quick. as you can
in deciding what you want and what
Is necessary SO that the bill can be