Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-22
Capital SidelightS
By Viii p. Kennedy.

This week there will be an important
conference at the Capitol of members
OF the special committee on inVestiga-
ton OF campaign expenditures with
House leaders. Representative William
j. Granfleld Of Springfield, Mass, chair
man OF the committee, arrives tomorrow
to map out his campaign, which he prom
ises will keep the closest scrutiny known
IN many years This committee was
first heralded as specially picked to in
VeStlgate the regime Of the late Senator
Huey Long. 1t will watch as they were
never watched before the large number
Of unofficial" or independent campaign
organizations which usually handle large
sums OF money for campaign purposes
and seldom II ever make report to the
clerk OF the House as required by law
Those organizations will have to watch
their step this year.
Granfeld, while urbane and gracious
is aggressive as a lawyer with an Unborn
sense of justice and craftsmanship. He
was born poor and played in the gutter"
but rose above it. He worked in rail-
road machine shop. He earned his way
through Williston Academy and Notre
Dame University, Then he played pro-
feSSional base ball while getting his law
degrees. Twenty years ago he began his
political career as member of the
Common Council of his native city
thence to the State Legislature, the
State Constitutional Convention, the last
three Democrat tic National Conventions
and he is one of the inner council"
who confer nightly when Congress is
in session with Representative John
O'Connor of New York, chairman of the
House Rules Committee.
Granfield will keep his Investigating
Committee working. but there will not
be the customary fanfare of trumpets.
We'll let the results speak for u.s." said
Granfeld.
One Of labor's best and seasoned friends
in Congress-a real power on the House
Labor Committee is Representative
Reuben T. Wood of Springfield Mo. He
knows labor from the ground up-born
on farm of Virginia parents, both with
college educations who gave him full
measure of home culture At an early
age he entered the cigar industry like
the late Sam Gompersl and together
they fought labor's battles for many
years. For 20 years Wood was president
of the Missouri State Federation of
Labor, and as chairman of the Legisla-
tive Committee attended every session
Of the State Legislature for nearly 25
years. He led the persistent fight for
enactment of the workmen'S compensa-
ton law for more than 10 years. He
came to Washington l6 years ago as
national legislative representative for
railway employees. During the World
War he represented his State on the
Fuel Administration and the Food
Administration.
Colleagues on Capitol Hill-What few
OF them are in town-and all the con-
greSsional employees are welcoming back
Representative John J. Cochran who
has just recovered from a lengthy and
severe illness following a general break
down. For IA years he was one of the
most popular congressional secretaries
and for IL years he has been a member
of the House, best known for his good
natured aggreSSiveness. In a recent
primary he had SIS candidates against
him and polled 1O13,824 votes. He re-
ceived the largest number of votes ever
given a Democratic candidate for the
Senate who was not nominated. He
is an ardent fisherman sportsman, claim
ing that the Washington vicinage is a
Sportsman'S paradise. He has been a
persistent worker to protect the Potomac
River from pollution. Government en-
ployes have no better friend IN Congress.
X y
Back home" to where they are big
shots" have gone scores of members OF
Congress, most of them with we'll
rounded experience and more or less
efficiency, some experts in their special
line, who seldom get their names In the
headlines of newspapers throughout the
country-and yet, they are the backbone
of legislation-the men who know, who
think things out, who study, ana VINO
vote unsWerved by ballyhoo, public
plaudits or political pressure.
Such a one is Representative William
Marcus Pierce of La Grande, Greg, born
on farm, who attended the little old
red school house." taught school, oper-
ated wheat farms, practiced law for 10
years, engaged in banking. ran stock
farms, went to the State Legislature and
sponsored laws for roads, labor and edu-
cation, member of Board Of Regents of
the State college, married the State
librarian. has six children--a quite ver-
satile and successful life. His wise coun-
sci is sought by congressional and State
leaders.