Evening star., 1937-12-26
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

The National House of Representatives
has . condensed reference library-all
It's own-where quick and prompt
answer can be found to any legislative
problem talmosD and where extensive
research can be followed on any more in
tricate and involved question, policy or
program. This library, housed on the
basement floor of the Old House Office
Building, is In charge of w. Perry Miller
formerly successful practicing attorney
in the Capital City. It has an emergency
station in a circular cubbyhcle lust of
the House floor, for many years presided
over by the late (and lamented) w.
Sabine, and now in charge Of William
Gillett of Oklahoma.
There are more than 10000 bound
volumes of records Of Congress in this
ready-reference library - beginning In
April, 1789-almost a century and a half
ago. They carry all the statutes, United
states reports digests the Federal Re-
porter, the Corpus Juris, all House and
Senate documents-the annotated code
and the new Federal code annotated-the
Old Federal Cases" and Hughes Federal
procedure-all House documents since
the 4th Congress, Senate documents and
papers from the second session Of the
18th Congress, all House and Senate re-
ports. all House bill books from the 9Th
Congress to date, Of which there is only
one copy IN existence. They are not
allowed to be withdrawn from the library.
This compact reference library also con-
tains encyclopedias and other books of
ready reference, law dictionaries, Words
and Phrases" who's Who" and-most
used OF all, the World Almanac. There
Is abundant confirmation among veteran
Senators and Representatives, long time
employees at the Capitol and research
authorities that the most popular and
valuable OF all reference works Is the
World Almanac. Attorney Miller has
been on the job for six years to answer
the "S. o. s." calls from House members.
He explains that most Of the records of
Congress ante-dating 1912 were burned
by the British. The Oldest book In his
collection Is executive Documents, 2nd
Session, 4th Congress" it contains
the speech Of George Washington on
december Z, 1876. The total of the con-
tingent expenses Of the Government for
that fiscal year was"$27 1893, and the en-
tire expenses Of the Government, includ-
ing the military establishment was $8,-
59,695.93, of which the expenses of the
state Department were $10635O. The
House Library also includes the Letters
and Messages Of the Presidents, starting
with the Declaration of independence.
the Articles Of Confederation, the Con-
stitution and George Washington's first
Inaugural Address. Out Of this collec-
ton there are in the emergency-hurry-
up-nbrary In the alcove just OF the
House moor some 5000 books, carefully
selected and stacked three deep on the
shelves In the limited space. The House
librarian, Squire" Miller, has had all
the house hearings assembled and bound,
and has just prepared an index to these
5000 individual hearings, which are
indexed three ways-committee, subject
matter and the bill number. This House
research library also contains an ex-
remely valuable collection Of State
papers.
Representative Louis Rabaut of Mich
1gan, one OF the famous singing solons"
OF the House, hummed q tune for his
colleagues in the House the other day
during the bitter debate on the wages
and hours bill, which was finally wrecked
and sent to the junk pile. He sang the
song Of the busy bees+93, 900, 900 of
them which furnished 5000 pounds of
beeswax for the automobile industry,
He emphasized that one of every II
gainful workers in the country, to the
number of 100000 get q pay envelope
from that industry, which consumes
products from every State in the Union,
and that 81 per cent of all the families
In the United States own its products.
1t pays tax bill Of billion and half
dollars annually, and paid the railroads
last year $3.50, 1872 900. It is the largest
consumer Of steel in all forms, of gaso-
line. lubricating oil, rubber, plate glass,
nickel, lead and mohair made into
more than 100000 automobiles last year.
Here are some of the figures given by
Representative Rabaut: Cotton, 69,OOO,-
600 pounds, yield of 1,250 acres; wool
3 200 900 pounds, product of 900, 900 sheep;
lumber, 10000 feet, product Of 20,5O0
acres; leather from 10000 head of cattle,
SOY beans, 100000 pounds, from 10000
acres: flax, 100000 pounds, $4,000
bushels, from 1880 acres; tung oil. 72s,-
900 gallons, product of 10000 acres; corn.
100000 bushels, yield of 12,500 acres;
goats hair. $4,000 pounds, from $500
goats: turpentine, 1000 900 pounds, man
ufactured from pine pitch; sugar cane,
2 800, 900 gallons Of molasses, produced
from 1880 acres; castor oil, $4,000
pounds. used for lacquers and artificial
feathers for rumble seats.