Evening star., 1936-04-19
Capital Sideligghts
By Viii p. Kennedy.

One of the original most important
committees Of the House. ranking with
the Ways and Means and Appropriations.
which for years has been in a state of
''innocuous desuetude,' has just staged
an amazing comeback. Years ago the
Flood Control Committee was one of the
big three pork barrel" bills-the others
being Public Buildings and Grounds and
Rivers and Harbors. Then it went mori-
bund. The recent disastrous food ram
page has brought it to public attention
with bang"
This committee. of which Represent
ative Riley Wilson of Louisiana is chair
man, has reported an omnibus bill COW
ering 265 projects calling for some $685.
100000 expenditure when it passed the
House. 1t is now pending before the
Senate Commerce Committee.
There have been some 300 other bills
handled by this committee, some rs or
30 of which have been reported to the
House, asking the Army Engineers to
make surveys of streams all over the
country, on which flood control projects
may be based.
The committee recently adopted a
resolution which has been submitted to
the chief of Engineers asking for re-
examinations and surveys as an imne-
diate result of the recent floods. This
is mostly for New England streams, but
covers other major streams Specifically
listed are these: Androscoggin, Merri-
mack, Salmon Falls, Connecticut, Saco,
North Canadian, HouSatonic and Kansas.
The Markham plan for fioodways in
Louisiana from the Arkansas River down
is also under consideration. This really
provides for a channel which some
authorities say would control floods along
the entire Mississippi Valley.
X X X
The dean" of the House-Represent-
ative Adolph j. SABBATH of IllinoiS-has
just achieved a unique record-the long
est service ever given in the United
States Congress by foreign-born citi-
zen-30 consecutive years, and still
going strong" This was emphasized by
a number of his colleagues felicitating
and eulogizing him in the House on
his 10th birthday anniversary. "A
statesman, a friend, an able legislator,
good citizen"-he was characterized by
Representative Chester Thompson of
Illinois, who called attention to Mr..
Sabaths 40 years of service to the
Democratic party in State and Nation.
He also credited him with doing more
than any other man Ito swing the for
eign vote in the great metropolitan GEN.
ters."
America hath a mission all her own
to preach and practice before the world
the dignity and divinity of man, the glo-
rious claims of human brotherhood and
the souls allegiance to none but God"
thus quoted Representative John j.
McSwain of South Carolina, chairman
of the House Military Affairs Committee,
in a notable speech on THE Upright
Judge" This speech was one of series
he has made during the past decade,
with particular reference to the late
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, but
made reference to the impeachment pro-
ceedings against Federal Judge Ritter
of Florida.
Representative McSwain suggested a
course of reading for those aspiring to
become good judges. He said that Is
years ago he had carefully read Justice
Holmes philosophic book. '"The Common
Law" In the same spirit he read the
Lives of the Lord ChancellorS OF Eng
land" and the Lives of the Lord Chief
Justices of England" by Lord Campbell.
It was then he first learned Of the rules
of conduct laid down by Sir Matthew
Hale to govern his conduct as judge.
He expressed his conviction that the
best preparation for judgeship is to
read and comprehend the lives OF great
Judges. Sir Matthew Hale, chief JUS
tice of England, he declared, was great
not alone in intellect, but he was greater
still in character He referred to the
case of "the good man, John Bunyan,
imprisoned in Bedford jail, detained oy
order of the King, with no right of re-
lease under habeaS corpus. Judge Hale
expressed great sympathy for for Bun
vans wife and regretted he had no
power to grant necessary relief.
The wiping out of the Kentucky
colonelcies has not shorn Colen H. Emer-
son, Democratic floor manager in the
House in charge of telephones in the
cloak room, of all honors. He has just
received an impressive gold badge as
honorary deputy sheriff" presented by
william r. Drummer, sheriff of Queens
County, N. Y, formerly popular men,
Der of the House. He also holds COM
mission as admiral In the Nebraska
Navy, through appointment by Senator
Edward r. Burke.