Evening star., 1933-05-28
Capital Sidelights
by WILL r. KENNEDY.


Members Of the House have feeling
Of Individual sadness these days be-
cause one of the Oldest and most faith
full of the House employees, who has
done many personal services for each
member, is suffering from. paralytic
stroke. The sympathy OF the entire
membership is with j. Martin Mckee
the veteran foreman of the House fold
ing room, which is the members book
store, and in the cloak rooms the kind
liest stories are told about Mr.. McKee's
thoughtful kndnesSes and courtesies
during the past half century, which
have generally endeared him to the
Nations lawmakers.
Mr.. Mckee came to Congress in 1888
as a page and worked his way up to the
responsible position in charge Of the
folding room, where there are few coun-
ter customers, but which does tre-
mendous mail order business. Several
inventions by Mr.. Mckee, to facilitate
| the work of his book store, have resulted
in tremendous savings to the Govern
ment and great convenience to the
members. One of these is a heavy
cardboard lining that can be placed in
a mail sack, giving 1t form so that il
can be packed more easily with Gov
eminent documents and affording
greater protection to those documents
in transit.
Scores of men now holding important
positions all over the country have
worked under Mr.. Mckee in the House
folding room-members Of Congress,
, lawyers, political leaders. Some OF
these found Mr.. Mckee an inspirational
friend while they were working their
way through college.
He Is one Of small group of veteran
workers at the Capitol who have kept
the machinery of legislation moving
behind the scenes while the personnel
of the House has been changing bien-
nially.
Warning regarding the Importance
OF public education supported by the
Federal Government was voiced In
Congress and broadcast throughout the
entire land by Representative Riseel
Ellzey of Mississippi. Emphasizing
that approximately century ago this
Nation conceived the idea Of offering
education to the public, and this new
ideal was clearly based on the prin-
ciple Of American free democracy"
Representative Ellzey quoted statistics
showing how other nations today are
contributing generously to public edu-
cation:
Denmark, 40 per cent Of the govern
ment budget for education: Belgium,
13 per cent; Germany, 1873 per cent
Norway, 14.9 per cent; Rumania, II
per cent: Sweden, Ill per cent, and
Switzerland, GAG per cent. "Yet in the
greatest nation on earth-America-
only four-tenths of one per cent goes
for public education" he said. Last
year the English government appro-
priated for educational purposes ap-
prcximately 5000 2,470, 600, while our
Federal budget appropriated for educa-
ton only $17000,000."
He called the attention of his COL
leagues and the voters of the Nation
to the fact that thousands of teach
ers during this great crisis have con-
tinued their services. even when the
community was unable to pay their
salaries for several months. Today one
State owes her teachers $1,000, 600
representing salaries long since past
due In one city there are 2,278 teach
ers who have been unable to meet pay
ments on $7,S00,567 worth Of life in
strance, 579 were unable to meet pay
ments on homes and 500 were actually
assisted by charitable foundation.
Regardless of such conditions, he
points out, "the patriotic teachers have
continued their services in the hope
that the children Of America might
not suffer.
Each year there is modified
throughout our American schools ap-
proximately 100000 children"
Pleading for adequate Federal sup
port for the public school system OF
this country, he said: mo Federal ap-
preparation would reach the masses OF
the people as would Federal support of
public education. bespeak your most
careful consideration of our American
schools-especially at time when these
splendid institutions need the cooper
alton and loyal support Of the Amer
ican citizens. The Federal Government
should contribute to public education
its just share of the cost to the end
that every worthy child of the great
est Nation on earth may have a golden
opportunity CT preparing for the walks
OF life and become constructive
builder for society as a whole. Above
all, let us not be swept off our feet
by a determined effort of a very few
who, under the guise of economy, would
literally destroy our American schools
In this great crisis let me appeal to
taxpayers, teachers and the American
youth to carry on that fine type Of
service, for society which has always
been characteristic Of our American
schools"
Tribute to unostentatious generosity
OF John D. Rockefeller. ir., Is paid by
Secretary Ickes, who says:
The one man who has done most to
help us realize the ideals that Stephen
I. Mathsr and Horace Albright, his sue
cesSor in the service, have had with
respect to our national parks is Mr.
John D. Rockefeller, jr. Unostenta-
tiously, but with rare Imagination and
unmatched hberality, he has already
actually given some 100000 for our
national parks and monuments, and
before he shall have reached the end
OF his rainbow his generosity will be
expressed in the startling figures of
approximately $4,000, 900, poured out
in order that our children may have
preserved for their enjoyment and in
spiration those glorious areas of trees
and wild flowers, of beautiful lakes and
limpid streams, of towering mountains
and expansive meadows, where vast
herds of native animals craze, secure
from the huntsman.
Another of Mr. Rockefeller's gifts
was that of $l,500000 to enlarge the
Teton National Park in Wyoming.
When the great sugar pine forest which
is now part of the Yosemite was threat
ened with destruction he found 81 $780,
600 to save it. He is spending $4,000, 900
for a system of highways in Arcadia
National Park, in Maine, and land in the
park itself he has already given of the
probable present value of $500,000. Spe-
cial mention should also be made of the
additional $7.000,000 already expended
toward his brilliantly conceived restora-
tion of Williamsburg, Va.
Generosity this, which stirs our SEN
timents and appeals to our imagination,
poured out on national projects which