Evening star., 1937-03-29
S24,O(Q,0DOA ASKED
T0RUN CONGRESS
House Figure Is 100000
Less Than Current
Year.

The House Appropriations Commit
tee recommended today an appropria-
ton of $240o1, 1874 to run Congress for
the next fiscal year.
The total represented a decrease Of
$1,4l3,724 from the amount allotted
for the current year and was S946,030
below the budget estimates for the
year 1937-38
total of s8,308,078 the largest
single item, was earmarked for the
House of Representatives. The amount
provided for the Senate was 1884 ,084.
The funds included sl,672,O0O for
completion of conditioning equip
ment for the Capitol and it's Office
buildings.
A plan for operating a subway elec-
trio train between the Capitol and the
two House Office Buildings was but
one in scores of human interest items
behind the cold dollars and cents fig
ures in the bill, hearing on which COW
cred 329 printed pageS-probably the
briefest of any of the major appro-
others are:
How devoted Capitol employe, on
an extremely dangerous assignment,
has worked 81 years without a single
days vacation, and now about to be
retired, figures it will take him y
to years to train his successor
That l25 sets of talking books for
Io iy, l,;e
try. and $4,000 specially designed
machines on which to run them off
and SO copies of number of books in
Braille or Moon embossed type are
being distributed through 27 agencies
in as many States by the Library of
Congress.
How invaluable has become digest
and index of bills by the Legislative
Reference Service, started two years
ago by former Representative William
W. Arnold, Democrat, of Illinois, a
Bible for Members of Congress and
purchasable at 10 or Is cents an issue
by any one.
Proposal to give members of Con-
gress special air mail stamp which
would save telegraph tolls and give
just as quick delivery as night letter
by wire to places at a distance from
Washington.
Bargain in Oriental Works.
How an ardent patriot enthusiastic
for the Library of Congress, sold to il
for $4,000, less than one-third Of
its value, an exquisite" collection
which he had spent 40 years in max.
Ing, of Arabic, Persian, Ethiopian ano
Cutie material-the first such bargain
In more than a quarter Of century
Some 80 years ago DR.. Herbert Put.
nam, the Librarian. spent S50,000 ir
two yearly installments for "the
finest collection of Russian books out.
side of Russia"
The proposed subway transporta-
ton line is favored by many members
it was shown at the hearing, if noise
can be eliminated. The Senate sub
way including the rebuilding and re.
vamping of the original equipment
cost about S25,000. The House has
more than four times as many mem
bers to patronize such railway, il
was explained. David Lynn, architect
of the Capitol, estimated that the
House could have such system at a
cost of 100000, and that noise could
be reduced to a minimum by treating
the ceiling and side walls Of the sub
ways with accoustical tile. All major
repairs to the Senate subway cars are
made at the Washington Navy Yard
Meters Official to Retire.
The veteran Capitol employe, 81
years on the job without any vacation,
is II. o. Bailey, United States super
intendent of meters, "A years old, who
took over the Job on June 80, 1885,
and is now receiving salary of S2,lOO
There are 1900 meters-gas, electric
and steam-and he has to go into
transformers where there are $500 to
l3,20O volts, "and you do not know
whether you are coming out or not, y
he told the committee. 1t takes him
II days to make the rounds. He is
ready for retirement in June, at 1900
! year. The Appropriations Subcom-
mittee was considering what allow
ance it should make him to teach
some one to take his place.
Members of the subcommittee paid
tribute to two veteran appropriation
committee clerks-John Pugh and Jim
6canlon-when Representative Ross
Collins, Democrat, OF Mississippi.
chairman of the District Subcommit-
tee. asked that they be given increases
in salary.
Members Of Congress are protesting
that they need more help In their
Offices to do the greatly increasing
work properly for their constituents.
The members Of the subcommittee
were agreed upon this and talked
1t over with South Trimble, clerk OF
the House-but they could do moth
ing about 1t except to recommend that
separate legislation provide for a
substantial increase in the allowance
to each member for clerk hire. Rep
resentative Snyder (Pennsylvania)
pointed out that while voting for
measures that will establish 35, 40
or A hours as work week in GER
tain industries, we are obliged to
Use our Office help IS and 80 hours
. week in order to serve our people
back home"