Evening star., 1935-08-25
Capital Sidelights
By Will p. Kennedy.

When the Republicans come back into
control of the House-as they eventually
must-there is only one man standing
out for the eakership-Bertrand H.
Smell of New York, who has made a
strong impression on party leaders and
the rank and file of his colleagues by
the way in which he has handled his
party's interests during an unusually
difficult period. Early in life he trained
to be teacher-then he attended that
college noted for the statesmen it has
produced, Amherst, where he was fel-
low alumnus with such men, who later
were honored in Congress, as Speakers
Rainey and Gillett. In his younger days
he did hard manual labor. but in later
years was director in trust company,
a large manufacturing concern, an in
surance corporation and president of
the board. of trustees of Clarkson Col
lege in his old home town, Potsdam,
N Y. He has sometimes been men
toned as possible candidate for Presi-
dent, but he has not been sirened by
that bee"
Now, when Smell becomes Speaker.
relatively young member of the House
is slated for floor Leaders, now in train
ing for that job-according to the time
honored organization policy of the Re-
publicanS. That is Representative JOS
eph w. Martin of North Attleboro,
Mass, a member of the House for IL
years. who is acting as assistant floor
leader for his party. He is a member
Of the Rules (Policy) Committee. The
legislative life Is meat" to Joe" Mar
tin-he is bachelor and the political
game is his "best" girl. AS a newspaper
owner, from early youth he has been
helping to guide public opinion and to
keep the people in his geographical area
informed about affairs of public interest
and welfare. He has had good legislative
training as a member of the MasSachu-
sets House of Representatives apd the
State Senate before coming to Congress.
For 20 years he has represented his peo-
pie at national nominating and party
platform conventions. Nearly 20 years
ago he won his spurs as chairman of
the Massachusetts Street Railway Inves-
tigating Committee. He was executive
secretary of the Republican State Com
mittee. Since coming to Congress he
has devoted himself sssiduously to help
ing to handle party interests in the
House, and he has been very popular.
Page boys and other employees Of the
House are conspicuously ambitious-they
all aim to be admiralS, colonels, doctors,
LAWYERS, industrial leaders-any place
at the top Of the ladder that may be
gained by climbing, and they demon
strate daily their eagerness to be of
service.
AS an example, here's young man
who served in the World War, and who,
after he came out of the Navy, studied
law-Ralph G. Meyer, from Egypt" in
Southern Illinois. He was brought to
the service of the House six years ago
by former Representative Thomas s.
Williams, good friend of the District S
citizenry, now judge of the Court OF
Claims. Young Meyer is minority as
sistant in charge of telephones in the
Republican cloak room, where he keeps
members informed as to what is doing
on the floor of the House. He is q
graduate of George Washington Uni
versity Law School and has recently
been admitted as member OF the bar
of the State of Illinois.
The House Is proud of its page force.
Daddy" Shannon is the particular
patron saint of the pages, who have
been sending flowers and writing him
in the hospital because they appreciate
his many kindnesses to them. Almost
daily some prominent member pays trib-
ute to these "mercuries." Only yester-
day Representative Tom jenkins Of Ohio
|. said: 1.-The House has a wonderfully
efficient force of pages. courteous, in
telligent, eager, ambitious-who help
amazingly in the work of Congress.
They use their heads as well as their
heels when sent on an errand. They
are little men, well worthy Of some day
being Congressman and leaders in pro-
fessional and business life" AS mat
ter of fact there is in the House right
now a member who came up from serv-
Ice as a page-Representative Donald II.
Mclean, who was appointed page by
Vice President Garret A. Hobart In De-
cember, 1897, and who was later private
secretary to Senator John Kean OF New