Evening star., 1938-02-09
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET GERMOND.
FORTY YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE
PUBLIC SERVICE. BY James A.
Frear. Washington: The Associated

Forty years of experience in any field
OF endeaVor qualities an individual to
disclose the nature and the development
OF so imposing career, and to do so with
authority. It is an unfortunate circum-
stance, however, that knowledge and
experience do not invariably endoW
person with the ability to write book
that many people will want to read. 1t
Is not because such publications lack
plentiful supply of interesting and i'm
portant facts that they fail to attract
public attention, for the most humble
occupation in which man engages con-
tainS the material for noteworthy lit
erary consideration. But the most fas-
cinating subject matter that any career
or occupation may have to offer requires
skillful handling by an experienced
writer II it Is to be set down in an
interesting as well as valuable book.
There is assuredly no dearth of en-
gaging experiences and important ac-
tivities in the long and useful record Of
Mr.. Frear as progressive public Serv-
ant. He was pushed somewhat suddenly
into politics by appointment to the
office OF City Attorney of Hudson, Wis,
Immediately after exposing in meeting
of the city caucus some highly question:
able activities on the part of State
Senator. He was appointed District At
torney by Governor Upham in 1896 and
was elected to that office for three con-
secutive terms. In 1902 he won election
to the Wisconsin Assembly and in 1904
he was the successful candidate for
the State Senate. He came out victorious
in the election of 1906 for the Office of
Secretary of State and remained in that
position until 1918, when he came to
washington as a member of the United
States House of Representatives from
the tenth district of Wisconsin. From
1918 until 1885, when he voluntarily re-
tired from public office, he served con-
tinuously in the House of Representa-
tives. He has practiced law in his ma
tive town of Hudson since 1884, was a
member of the United States Signal
Corps for five years and served as chair
man in the famous legislative insurance
investigation in Wisconsin in 1906.
While in public Office in his home
State Mr.. Frear joined forces with the
late Governor Robert NJ La Toilette in
the fight to wrest Wisconsin from the
control of political railroad and utilities
interests, devoted his energies to secur-
ing the passage of the first Statewide
primary law and other progressive legis-
lative projects which have stood the test
OF experience and of constitutionality.
In the Congress of the United States
the activities of Representative Frear
were varied and strenuous He served
for many years on the powerful Ways
and Means Committee of the House,
where he labored earnestly and diligently
to prevent extraVagant wastefuness in
pork barrel and Iog-rolling legislation.
In the early days of his membership in
the House he sought by means of a
budget law to put an end, through legis-
lation, to wasteful spending in public
buildings, rivers and harbors and flood
control.
Believing that the Great War was a
useless and hopeless venture, and that
the sentiment aroused in this country
for participation by the United States
was being fostered largely by profiteers
and international bankers, he opposed
and voted against the declaration of war;
He fought the National Security League.
was instrumental in bringing about the
defeat of the dye embargo. led success
full movement to defeat the sales tax,
worked strenuously and effectively to
secure house cleaning and put stop
to the mismanagement of Indian affairs,
was supporter of the merit system,
served on the committee investigating
aircraft and war expenditures, fought
against and was instrumental in defeat
ing the famous Muscle Shoals water
power grab and participated strenu-
ously in many other battles for or
against legislative proposals in accord
ance with his honest convictions.
u L.
lie service, sincerely rendered to the
people who entrusted him with Office.
Mr.. Frear has been something of world
traveller and an observer of the political
and social conditions that prevail in
other countries. He has faithfully re-
corded these observations and impress
sions along with the record of his
stewardship AS the representative of his
electorate. He includes also observations
and beliefs concerning a number of
the problems that beset this country
today, and he indulges in an occasional
dig at those who, while in public office,
held views in opposition to his own or
by their actions violated certain stand
ards of political honesty to which he
tenaciously adhered.
All in all, the volume contains mass
of interesting information that if
handled less mater-of -factly would COM
mand immediate and responsive atten-
ton. Excerpts from reports and
speeches in the Congressional Record,
personal letters from many men promi-
nent in the affairs of the Nation during
the forty years of the authors public
service, and reports of Investigations into
many matters of Nation wide concern
attest to the whole hearted and vigorous
efforts which he put into the job of being
conscientious public servant. Such
memoirs, penned by an experienced
writer, might we'll be received as stirring
tale OF American individualism.
4 X X X
MURDER ON THE QUEEN MARY. BY
Bruce Graeme. Philadelphia: j. B.
Lippincott Co.
Inspector Stevens of the G. I. D. and
Inspector Pierra Allain of the French
Surette Rationale are again featured by
Bruce Graeme in mystery that ramifies
into several countries, including the
United States, and draws to a center on
the palatial liner Queen Mary.
AS mysteries go, the story is not so
exciting as might be hoped for, but as
a substitute for genuine voyage on the
greatest passenger ship afloat it is
grand success. Life on board this huge
maritime metropolis affords every thrill,
that money can buy, and as Big Bill
Stevens and Pierre Allain roam over the
ship in search of their quarry the stay