Evening star., 1938-12-11
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy

When the new Congress meets, the
popular philosopher of the wheel chair,
Representative Joseph Jefferson Mans
field of Texas. chairman of the Rivers
and Harbors Committee, with % years
of service completed, is to be given an
ovation. Kindly and lovable with keen
human interest in his fellow man, Repre-
sentative Mansfield, has left in rugged
places footprints that have helped and
will continue to help others. He was
born in "The Old Dominion'-Wayne
County, which is now West Virginia
Fifty-eight years ago he moved to Texas
and was employed as farm and nursery
laborer. Later he became freight clerk
and baggage master on the Southern Pa
ciflc Railway. He studied law by candle
stead of cooling his heels in idleness
started the first newspaper in Eagle Pass.
When he was Is years of age he organ
lied two companies of the Texas Ma
tional Guard, was successfully second
lieutenant, first lieutenant. captain and
adjutant of the 4th Texas Regiment. He
became prosecuting attorney and when
he was % was Mayor Of his home own
and subsequently county superintendent
of schools He was for 10 years county
judge before coming to Congress. Few
men in the House in the past half CEN
tury have been more generally and sim
cerely loved by their colleagues.
In the new Congress drive will be
made to put through substantive legisla-
ton and appropriate funds for the long
projected municipal auditorium, for
which the National Capital Planning
Commission is having revised plans
drawn. Those who are sponsoring the
project under the impetus of presidential
approval will emphasize that while the
Capital City and Congress have for more
than quarter of a century been talking
about an auditorium as greatly needed
and particularly to house inaugural cere-
monies in inclement Weather-some 200
much smaller cities and towns, ranging
in population from 600 to $4,000 have
constructed municipal auditoriums and
civic centers during the past two years.
sible by aid from the Works Progress
Administration, with the city or county
sponsoring the project and supplying
part of the funds. Besides that q, num-
ber of auditoriums in large cities were
remodeled Many of the municipal audi
forums include space for municipal
offices, community theaters, gymnasiums,
armories and rooms for the public library.
The Capital auditorium as now planned
is to be part of the long ng-deferred mu-
nicipal center group. In some 20 North
Carolina cities and towns, Representative
Lindsay w. Warren points out, structures
to house local units of the National
facilities. Auditoriums were built by
eight Colorado towns, % Kansas cities
and towns, 10 towns in Georgia, IL in
South Dakota and 13 in Minnesota.
To meet the demands of the new pro-
fession of housing emphasized by the
New Deal. II colleges and universities
in seven States are now offering courses
for State and Federal career service.
The instructions now offered cover prob
lens of low-rent housing, planning and
housing legislation, community planning
and real estate management. The more
prominent schools setting up such courses
are: Massachusetts Institute Of Tech
nology, Georgia School of Technology,
Columbia University, New York Univer-
sity, University Of Minnesota. University
of Chicago, Blue Ridge College, Sarah
Lawrence College, Wayne University,
University of Buffalo and the new School
Of Social Research.
BY the irony of fate, Representative
Samuel B. Pettengill of Indiana was
defeated for reelection just about the
time his book, "Jefferson-the Forgot
ten Man." came of the presses. The
book deals with elements of our national
life which he expected to reach a climax
in 1910.
Representative Jerry Voorhis Of Cali
fornia has had q picturesque, varied and
humanity helpful life. He vas born In
XAnsas q pioneer AneaIaAa stoak, rad