Evening star., 1936-08-02
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

The new edition of "The Book of
Presidents" is out for handy reference
and is especially valuable these campaign
days. 1t shows that President Roosevelt
in 1882 got STA per cent of the largest
popular vote ever cast-22, ,82l 858-to
1871 ,841 for Hoover out of total of
39,764,299. The Electoral College vote
was 472 for Roosevelt to SO for Hoover.
The most important events of the
Roosevelt administration are listed as:
1888, bank holiday; 1898, twentieth
amendment to the Constitution Cterms
of President and Congress-; 1888, Gen.
tury of Progress, Chicago; 1888, twenty
first amendment prohibition repeaD I;
1884, N. r. A. codes; 1884, midwest
drought; 1885, United States neutrality
act; 1886, floods, Northeastern States
Forty-six organizations are listed under
the New Deal alphabet.
The youngest President was Col.
Theodore Roosevelt, inaugurated when
he was AZ, and the oldest William Henry
with James Buchanan a close second at
65 and Zachary Taylor at "a.
The Supreme Court decisions on the
New Deal are listed as follows:
January 7, 1935-Oil production con-
troll outlawed.
February 18. l935-Abrogation of gold
clause upheld; Minnesota mortgage
moratorium sustained.
March 4, 1e35-New York State milk
control upheld.
May 6, l935-Railroad retirement act
declared unconstitutional.
May 27, 1935-N. I. R. A. declared I'M
constitutional; farm mortgage mora
torium law declared unconstitutional.
November 25, 1935-Enjoined Govern
ment collection of processing taxes under
A. A. A.
The salaries Of those in the executive
legislative and judicial branches of the
Government are periodically subject of
discussion and bets The Book of the
Presidents" lists the big ones as follows:
President of the United States, $4,000;
Chief Justice of the United States,
s20,500; associate justices of the Supreme
Court, $4,000; Vice President, Cabinet
members and Speaker Of the House,
$4,000; members Of Congress, $4,000.
~ +
Talking books for the blind - you
simply press button.
What this means to the 10000 blind
persons in this country. less than
fourth of whom can read braille, is told
by Representative Matt Merritt, New
York after making an inspection of the
w. P. A. talking book-reading machine
factory in New York, where 300 men
are working-with the inspirational sign
before them: Every man working here
is doing his part to make the blind Of
the country happier" These men are
mostly about Is years of age, who had
little experience with tools. They are
learning to assemble electrical equip
ment as delicate as the radio, and at
the same time providing an instrument
of instruction and recreation for the
blind.
The talking books are the recorded
versions of the literature of the world,
which the Library of Congress, with the
cooperation of the American Founda-
ton for the Blind, has been manufactur-
ing and collating for the past two years.
The job called for 5000 of these reading
machines and they are being produced
at the rate of $50 week. They are the
property of the United States Govern
ment and are being shipped out to the
States on the same ratio to population
that members of Congress are selected
They will be loaned to blind persons for
an indefinite period of time. The Amer
ican Foundation for the Blind had pre-
viouSly and independently distributed
$500 similar machines.
Representative Merritt says: ITO
thousands who cannot see the talking
book-reading machine opens the whole
world of literature at the mere touch
Of switch"
Representative Joseph P. Martin Of
Massachusetts,, assistant floor leader of
the minority in the House, who was
personally selected by Gov. Landon
Of Kansas to- be his floor leader in
the Republican Convention In Cleve-
land which nominated Landon and
Knox, now has new job largely Of his
own making. "Joe," who is always
affable and seldom ruf1ed, good scout
to get the gang pulling together, has
been selected to head a Nationwide
organization, working in all the States
to get harmony and united, concentrated
action among Republicans in the cam
paign just opening. He started this job
In one of the toughest spots-sort OF
prophet In his own country situation.
He is right now getting various factions
and malcontents in Massachusetts, work.
Ing harmoniously together for the first
time In 10! these many years"