Evening star., 1935-04-07
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

~~ &H.<ANANA~As
Having worked his way up from .
printers devil' to Congress, Repre-
sentative John H. Tolan of California,
practicing attorney for the past SO
years and father of a family of five
children, still gets his biggest thrill
out of helping some boy toward
achieving his widest ambition-the
boundless scope Of a boys imagina-
tion. who thinks as the wind, and
scars in fancy-that's what appeals to
Tolan. He has done more errands
for the boys In his district since he
has been in Congress than for their
fathers-and the boys come back for
more-they write him letters and
he writes back In the same spirit. He
and his boy correspondents believe
alike, implicitly, in all the old ideals,
especially that any boy has just as
good chance as any other boy to be
President-that the whole United
States and its possibilities and oppor-
tunities Is his particular oyster"
No boy ever got the least set back or
discouragement for his most imagi-
native dreams from John Tolan. His
Is more the spirit, Sure, you can
make 1t; go ahead and do it."
And this is the sort of letter that
Tolan finds in his mail. This particu-
lar one is from Robert Eugene Black
man. aged IA, 1910 Twelfth street.
Oakland. Calf:
Il was reading in the magazine
Boys Life and on page sixteen Q6),
where you could get book about the
Government. Its name Is Senate
Document 1873. Seventy second Con-
gress. second session, entitled Points
of Historic Interest in the National
Capital 1t said 1t was free and well
worth reading. like TO read about the
Federal Government because my am
bition is to be either a Secretary Of
War. or a general and most of all the
President OF the United States"
Now that the District Of Columbia
appropriation bill for support Of the
National Capital during the fiscal
year beginning July next is await
ing action in the Senate, Represent
ative Clarence Cannon of Missouri,
former pariiamentarian OF the House
under Speaker Champ Clark and who
succeeded to Champ Clark's seat in
the House and Is chairman OF the
House Subcommittee on District Ap-
propriations, thinks 1t Is an appro-
pirate time for the people Of Wash
ington to know about William A
I"CiIept p{ll1. nttvaIl'a 0rcd vork
in their behalf.
Duvall Is clerk to Mr.. Cannon's
subcommittee and Chairman Cannon
says he rs invaluable, q tireleSs
worker, most eflcient-who labors
day and night in getting the District
appropriation bill in shape" The
other members Of the committee
agree unanimously-and there has
never been a leak through Bill"
from the executive sessions, and they
all know it-that's why he Is called
Silent Bill"
Most people don't realize the
amount OF drudgery there is behind
getting out an appropriation bill-but
Duvall does 1t all with a smile. and
is always pleasant, courteous, oblig-
ing and never too busy to do a
favor II he can. He was formerly
employed as clerk to the Military AZ
fairs Committee of the Senate. but
has worked with the House Appro-
priations Committee since November,
1927. He has taken charge of the
clerical work on the District appro-
priation bill beginning with the fiscal
year 1882, up to and including the
1885 measure now before the Senate.
During that period the bill has car
ried $l92,013.876 in appropriations for
maintaining and developing this city
that is the seat Of Government. The
amount by years has been-l932,
45,672,838: 1888. s41,245,622: 1894,
s30.375.834; 1885. s35,41l.l7s, and
1886 (as it passed the House,, $39.-
3O8. .404.
Duvall was also clerk to the In
terror Department Subcommittee. be-
ginning with the fiscal year 1929.
which bill carries funds for public
buildings and grounds in the Ma
tional Capital, for st. Elizabeth's
Hospital, Columbia Institution for the
Deaf, Howard University and Freed
mems Hospital.