Evening star., 1937-06-06
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

Cne new 1ad at the Capitol. 1t was Rep
resentative Clarence Cannon, who, after
serving as parliamentarian under both
Democratic and Republican regimes, is
now in his eighth term as member. who
started It, He contributed several thou
sand OF these pipes for the solace of his
colleagues and members of the press
gallery, and as former history teacher
he told his fellow members the story of
the corn cob:
When the earliest pioneers from Vir-
ginia and the Carolinas first migrated
to the motherly bosom of Missouri, 4
century and half ago, each settler
brought with him his rifle, his Bible
and his pipe, and was equally proficient
In the use Of all three There on the
fertile, alluvial Mississippi bottoms and
the rich loan OF the Missouri uplands,
he found Indian maize yielding corn
with cobs OF such durable texture and
generous proportions that he abandoned
the Colonial clay and briar bowls of the
Old Dominion and adopted the Missouri
meerschaum, which has become today
the standard OF pipe comfort, luxury,
simplicity, economy and enjoyment
throughout the world. Whether in Lon
don or Shanghai, on San Francisco BAY
or the sidewalks Of New York, buy a
pipe at the nearest tobacconist's and on
the bottom OF it you will read Made in
Missouri Fill 1t up with the golden
flakes OF your favorite smoke. preferably
old homespun from a Missouri hillside,
aged and ripened and mellowed in the
top rafters OF Missouri tobacco barn,
and 1t will give you such JOY and solace
as 1t is seldom human privilege to enjoy"
1t was with this thought In mind, he
explained, that he invited his colleagues
IN the House and press gallery to thus
enjoy an exceptional product of Mis-
souri's soil and industry" And he ad-
vlsed thus: When you get crosswise
with life or digestion is bad; when
things go wrong and you want to kick
the dog, when the wife is critical and
your best friends are cut of town, tamp
down an extra heavy charge in one of
these friendly pipes and light it with a
coal from the fireplace, and peace and
contentment will attend you like bene-
dlction, cares will vanish in dissolving
rings OF fragrant blue and life once more
will be worth the living"
+* X
The Speakers chair is an uneasy one,
for physical as we'll as political and par
liamentary reasons. And this doesn't
apply to the Speaker in person, but to
those other members who may be called
to preside in the committee of the whole
for long and tedious hours on vexed
legislation. Now they are trying out
new chair. After careful study of the
requirements, c. A. Rapee, who has charge
of House furniture under Clerk Trimble,
secured heavily padded blue leather
chair that was cross between barber
shop throne and beauty parlor chair,
with a specially pronounced head rest.
But Speaker Bankhead soon banished
it. The requirements for a Speakers
chair are much more intricate and ex-
acting than might be supposed.
A new all-time record has just been
established on roll-call OF members
names in the House-where the reading
clerk has to take time for the member
to answer the call, which he repeats to
q tally clerk and gets q response. The
veteran reading clerk, A. E. ChafIee,
several years ago established the record
of q no-quorum call in IA minutes and
an aye -and-nay roll call in II minutes
But last Tuesday night he made the new
record on an ye-and-nay roll call on the
relief bill. He started the call at 1l:25
pm.-yes, Congress does work overtime
it was completed and Mr.. Chaffee
handed the slip bearing the figures
yeas, 326; nays, A; answered present"
L; not voting, 61-to the Speaker pro
tempore, Representative Fred M. Vinson
of Kentucky, at II 40 pm. and at IL AZ
the House had of1cially adjourned
II
The greatest contest in the history Of
the House is now supposed to be closed
for the new position Of assistant read
ing clerk. This contest has been in
progress for more than six months, with
more than 14O candidates for the Job
tried out. Gradually the field was weeded
out and reduced to six. During the last
two weeks the finalists have been put
through an intensive contest, with new
secret committee Of members listening
in. Even Reading Clerk Chaffee, who
conducts the trials, doesn't know land
chooses not to know who the members
Of the Committee Of Judges are. OF
course, the final appointment rests with
South Trimble, chief clerk. The last
roll call closing the contest was on
Thursday night by Fred H. Gormley Of
Montgomery, Ala. The contestants have
been from every State In the Union.
PVy1-..