Evening star., 1935-12-29
Capital Sidelights
By Viii p. Kennedy.

Veterans at the Capitol this Christmas
received gift which pleased them great
ly-representing some 40 years of prep
aration and 25 years of actual work.
It was an autographed copy OF the
fourth and final volume of former Rep
resentative Robert Luces authoritative
work on "The Science of Legislation"
comprising a million words, each letter
Of which he licked of personally on his
old typewriter. This volume is on "LegiS-
lative Problems" and, without politi-
cal party controversy, concerns the live
problems of today, such as delegation
of power, administrative legislation and
the cabinet system. 1t covers the broad
underlying principles of about every
thing that is going on in Congress.
The author, Mr.. Luce, is IA years Of
age and in his closing years In Congress
was chairman of the House Library Com
mittee and one of the most active men,
bers Of the Banking and Currency Com
mittee. He had served in Congress IL
years and before that was lieutenant
governor of Massachusetts, chairman OF
the Commission on Cost of Living, floor
leader of the State Constitutional Con-
vention, president Of the Republican Club
of Massachusetts, and served nine years
in the State Legislature. He was news
paper man and lawyer.
A little note in Mr.. Luce's own hand
writing in the front of each gift volume.
expressing appreciation of assistance and
encouragement the recipient had given
him during the quarter century in which
he has devoted all of his spare time to
writing this monumental work, gave it
great additional value.
x x
Another pleasing Christmas greeting
was personally written letter on Christ
mas stationery, emphasizing the value Of
friendships, from Charles E. Fairman, art
curator of the National Capitol who is
author and compiler of 526-page vol
ume, published eight years ago, in COM
pliance with an act of Congress. This
act was passed in order that the intensely
valuable material which Mr.. Fairman
had collected during more than 20 years,
as labor of love, and his own personal
knowledge and erudition regarding art
and artists of the Capitol, should be pre-
served for posterity and made available
to those in search of information on the
subject.
Mr.. Fairman is a kindly, courteous,
Christian gentleman Of the old school
whom it is pleasure to number among
your friends.
One of the great outdoors men in Con-
gress is Representative Wesley Lloyd of
Tacoma, Wash, and regional whip for
Washington, Oregon and part of Cali
fornia. BorTf on a Kansas farm. he early
heard the siren call Of the West-where
he has become one of the outstanding
criminal lawers. AS defense attorney
he tried 80 first-degree murder cases
without hanging. Once he accepted an
invitation to appear for the State as spe-
cial prosecutor in particularly intricate
murder trial. The result was the two ac-
cused men were hanged and Lloyd served
notice he would never again act in q
similar capacity.
He Is good shot with rifle, even bet
ter with shotgun, whether on waterfowl
or upland birds. He is fisherman OF
note and considered an expert authority
on the myriad fish streams that tumble
westward down the snow-capped Cas-
cades, through virgin forests OF giant
timber, to the SEE at his door.
Representative Thomas Francis Ford
of California, assistant chief whip OF
the Democrats in the House, was born
at the White House, 18 miles south Of st.
Louis on the banks Of the Mississippi
and quit law to be a newspaper man.
He has devoted himself especially to
study of economics and has read prac-
tically every book on the subject pub.
lshed in the last IS years, from Keynes
economic Consequences of the Peace"
to Salter's Recovery" and Frank H.
Simonds' virile writings. He thinks
Charles and Mary Beard Stuart Chase,
w. E. Woodward, Prof Rogers of Yale
("America Weighs Her Gold") and 9TH
ers are we'll worth more general reading.
He advises all his fellow members to
read Claude Bowers "Beveridge and the
Progressive Era" and Ladders Con-
centration in American Industry" He
added: "Mertzs The Dry Decade is an
other eye-opener--so also Lynch's Grim
inals and Politicians Mrs. Ford. who
was also a newspaper woman. adds her
recommendations to this list: Mary
Boards "On Understanding Women" and
Adams Epic of America" So there is
a shelf Of serious reading for the new
yearl ~