Evening star., 1935-02-03
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

The more than 100 new members
of the House and quite few Of the
older members are getting acquainted
with one of those seemingly young"
fellows who through devoted service
for many years has developed a
specialized knowledge and efficiency
which daily prove helpful to all mem
bers-Elmer Lewis, 16 years in the
document room, who Is a walking
encyclopedia on legislative measures.
He files data on bills and resolutions
and committee reports in his mind as
well as on index cards, and gives
prompt service to scores OF members
who never see him and few OF whom
stop to realize the intensive study
and drudgerous routine that are be-
hind such ready service. When any
member desires information about
any legislative measure a page from
the House floor or clerk from the
members Office goes to Elmer and
gets what he wants almost instantly.
This makes Elmer one OF the most
important cogS in the legislative ma
chinery. 1t Is Elmer's assistance that
has won many legislative battle on
the floor Of the chamber, through his
ability to supply SO promptly the in
formation required by q battling
member.
Elmer Lewis, still with pink,
chubby, boyish countenance, Is not
only recognized as the memory expert
of the Capitol, but has had a notable
part in engineering some Of the most
important legislation during the past
decade-and he sedulously keeps
modestly in the background-that'S
one of his most attractive virtues. He
is there for service and not for self
acclaim. He knows his job and he
keeps his place.
The main document room, presided
over by Elmer (everybodys friend
is just off Statuary Hall, the origi-
nal House chamber, but his archi-
tectural cubbyholes for storage OF
documents occupies extensive space
in out-of-the-way corners from the
sub-basement of the Capitol to the
old Library of Congress space on the
fourth floor. Some of the treasured
documents date back to the Eighth
and Ninth Congresses-1803 to 1907
more than 1872 years ago. UP wind
ing iron stairway from the cubby-
hole in which he keeps all records
within reach of his swivel type
writing chair, Mr.. Lewis has concen-
trated in one compact circular room
all the laws dating back to the Forty
fifth Congress.
But most of his work Is current
on pending legislation-and the most
popular subjects nowadays are en-
ployment insurance and old-age pen
| sions. Elmer makes up large en-
! velopes filled with all the documents
on these special subjects and has
them ready to send out to members
! of Congress when they request in
! formation on these particular sub
! jects. He is thinking ahead Of all
the members of Congress all the time
SO as to be ready to give them imme
diate servic? on hurried request.
| Lewis must be familiar with the
| status of every bill, whether it is
| a House or Senate, a public or pri-
vate measure. He must also know
! the author Of each measure, its num-
ber, the date of its presentation, when
| it was referred to a committee, when
reported and its every movement from
I introduction until it is signed by the
| President, or otherwise disposed OF
/ This information he keeps carefully
on index cards-and does this work
himself, even to the routine type
! writing.
I He has been in charge Of the docu-
ment room for the past II years and
for five years before that was clerk
in the Office. One of his early in
! novations was a complete grouping
of laws on every subject so that they
are now ready of access.