Evening star., 1937-11-13

fully and fervently sounded the final,
conclusive note on that day:
When the Speakers gavel fell and
the formal announcement of adjourn
ment had been uttered the newspaper
correspondents in the press gallery
evinced their deep-felt thanks by ris-
ing to their feet and chanting the
doxology"
The scriveners had every good right
to feel that they had passed through
an ordeal, because sessions lasting
more than 300 days really are rare
affairs. Only six out Of the 173 held
since the Nations birth have gone
! beyond the 300-day mark and some
Of them included extraordinarily ex-
tensive recesses. 1t is interesting TO
note that. in addition to the six 300
day sessions, "A have lasted more
than 200 days. AZ between 100 and
, 200 days and rs less than 100 DAYS.
During all those days. many strange
and many weird legislative proposals
| have been tossed into the hoppers at
the Capitol 1t is difficult to believe
that the session which opens tomorrow
or any session upon which the future
may gaze will witness parallels for
some of those proposals.
With reorganization of the execu-
tive branch of the Government al
ready on the schedule as a subject
of forthcoming congressional consid-
GRAFTON, the mind rests with interest
upon the vast amount of reorganiza-
ton which now would be required
if even a few of the past proposals
to establish new departments in the
executive branch had been enacted
into law.
Annals of Congress show measures
have been introduced to establish the
following departments among 9TH
ers: Public Communication. Public
Baths, Public Lectures. Public An
nouncements. Public Hotels. Public
Methods. Public Works. Public Forces.
Public Fluids, Public Fairs, Public
Products, Public Insurance and Public
Science. If all departments so pro-
posed throughout the last half CEN
tury has been established. the cab
met now would include at least 80
members.
EREAKISH proposals relating to
the District of Columbia have put
in their appearance in large numbers
| during the multitude of legislative
days that have passed Suffice TO
take note of two or three.
One Senator in the long ago
brought forth bill which stated
its purpose as being ito introduce
moral and social science into the
public schools of the District of Co.
lumbia, with that purpose to be ac-
complished under the following die
| tates:
"The school officers shall introduce,
as a part of the daily exercises, in
struction in the elements of social
and moral science. including indus
try. order, economy. punctuality,
patience, self-denial health, purity.
temperance, cleanliness, honesty,
truth, justice, politeness, peace, fidel-
ity. philanthropy, patriotism. self
respect. hope, perseverance, cheerful
ness, courage. self-reliance, gratitude,
pity, mercy, kindness, conscience, re-
Election and the will. 1t shall be the
duty of the teachers to give a short
oral lesson each day upon one of the
topics mentioned and to require each
pupil to furnish thought or other
illustration of the same upon the fol-
| lowing morning. Emulation shall be
cherished between the pupils in sc-
cumulating thoughts and facts in re-
gard to the noble traits possible and
in illustrating them by their daily
conduct"
Another law proposed back In the
good old days also sought to make a.
change in affairs In the District, but
dealt instead with the seamy side of
life. 1t would have made lawful the
marriage or divorce of persons in the
District by the simple process Of writ
ing out their own declaration, having
it witnessed by four permanent citi-
zens, and filing it In the ONCE Of the
Recorder Of Deeds for q fee of so
cents.
And the life of q Government
worker in Washington would be
greatly different than it Is today If
another proposal had gone into effect.
1t called for q working day of four
hours, with 81 pay each day and
one years vacation in every four,
for all persons in public employ.
CTILL another idea, definitely
linked with governmental opera
tions In Washington, was formally
ensconsed in a bill which sought
to force the heads of Federal de-
partments ito instantly resign their
positions whenever any considerable
number of the patrons or employees
of their respective departments shall
demand their removal from said
offices at the hands of the President"
With the two houses of Congress
fairly well "sot in their ways" by