Evening star., 1938-07-10
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

| Dl WILL r. AENNEDY.
There is a member of Congress who
serves as general manager of one of the
biggest public service systems in the
country. without title or salary at con-
siderable expense to himself in travel
costs and loss of time-and few. If any,
of his associate realize the service he is
giving.
The appearance Of Representative
John OConnor of New York. chairman
of the House Rules Committee. at his
offices in the Capitol every week while
practically all other House members are
about their own business and devices,
emphasizes his devotion to this silent
partner" job. And the sacrifice must be
better appreciated at this time since he
is number one man of the House on the
Presidents purge" list. But OConnor
only laughs at that distinction.
A year or more ago the President asked
O'Connor why he spent so much time
in Washington when Congress was not
in session, and OConnor's answer was
something like this:
The Rules Committee is a sort of
clearing house for the House with the
Speaker and House leader away. There
are innumerable requests for advice Ie-
garding what to do or not do, and what
may or may not happen regarding legis-
lation. Besides" said O'Connor proudly,
Il am the nominal head of one of the
biggest utility plants and business enter
prises in this country. The commission
in control of the House Office Building
consists of Speaker Bankhead as chair
man. myself and Representative Clar-
ence E. Hancock of New York. We have
charge of the two House Once Build
ings. and also the Capitol power plant,
which furnishes electricity and heat to
the House Once Buildings, the Senate
Office Building. the Capitol. the Library
of Congress and its annex, and to the
great industrial plant at the Govern
ment Printing Off1ce and annex build
ings. The head of that utility company
should be receiving a salary of s5O.OO0,
but receive just nothing" admitted
OConnor-"only headaches" he added.
I'm connection with the operation of
the House Office Buildings" Mr.. OCon-
nor continued, "if an elevator boy wants
a few days vacation, or a scrubwoman
gets into trouble. or some member wishes
to put an elk's head on his office wall
those problems all come to me for a
decision
During the past two years we have
completed the largest air conditioning
job in the world, costing four and half
million dollars. It is the first plant of
its kind with a central unit. 1t draws
the water out of the Anacostia River
cools 1t. sends 1t to all the buildings in
the Capitol group and returns it. None
OF the buildings are annoyed by indiv-
dual plants in the building itself That
central air conditioning plant uses as
much water as any city of 200, 600 in
habitants.'
When the late Representative Joseph
w. Byrnes was Speaker he left most OF
the work OF the House Office Building
Commission to OConnor. and now when
Speaker Bankhead is away most of the
detailed work still falls to OConnor
For that reason he makes frequent visits
to the Capitol. at least once q week when
Congress is not in session, entirely at
his own expense. He has paid as much
as S1,5O0 year in railroad fares and
received from the United States Treasury
$92 year for mileage, much discussed
as huge gratuity to members of Con-
gress.
=
Members of Congress, after the gavel
falls, are taking stock of the future.
oftentimes bare their souls in the Record.
Representative Herbert s. Bigelow of
Ohio, writes: "A Congressman after
drawing $240,0 1000 for his "a years In Con-
gress voluntarily retires, at Just nv age,
announcing that he feels he has sacri-
feed enough to the public and that he
is justified In quitting Congress to recoup
his fortune. If am retired from Con-
gress by the voters, I, although possessed
of nothing else in the world, shall be
thankful to have as much as q cottage
and few acres Of ground, paid for, and
q pension equal to that on which postal
letter carrier rettres. should feel rich
since this Is 80 much more than most
people have, and would enjoy sitting
on the side Of the road and watching
the world 90 by. But am not planning
to retire in this opulence, even If denied
another term In Congress, for too know
Of fortunes that need recouping. I
could think Of no worse way of wasting
my time than to try to make money for
myself" Then he goes on to tell of the
important legislative measures he hopes
to see enacted.
Representative Frank J. @. Dorsey Of
Pennsylvania in prefacing his extension
Of remarks" on MY Reacord as Your
Congressman" chronicles that during
the sessions Of the Seventy fourth and
Seventy-flfth Congresses, have talked
to the people Of my district through the
medium of the community newspapers.
My weekly column "A Letter From Your
Congressmeh' has appeared In fourteen
'papers."