Evening star., 1939-08-27
Capitol SideIiehts
By Will P. Kennedu

Federal spending" has many leaders
in Congress well aroused. Rep. George
H. Bender of Ohio emphasizes that "of
every dollar spent by the Federal Gov
ernment, 80 cents is borrowed money"
Representative Taber, ranking Repub-
hcan on the Appropriations Committee,
says that funds taken out of the Treasury
at the session just closed total S14 061 $685.
619.69-''the largest sum made available
to the departments and agencies for ex-
penditure in peace-time history" He
says that in the past six years $50 900 ,OOO.- =
GOO has been spent-that the public debt
is $40 66l ,264 ,82247 and the debt of Gov
ernment corporations is s13,233 1885, ,247-
a total debt of s53S95, 100, ,o6s47.
The smallest electric motor, constructed
by Merle l.. Bassett Of Kelso, Wash, was
recently taken to the White House and
shown to the President by Representative
Knute Hill of Washington, who also
demonstrated it to his colleagues in
Congress. The miniature motor is .o5s
inch long and high and .0062 wide 1t
contains II pieces; revolves $500 times
per minute; voltage OFT of l volt: took
191 hours to construct; weighs 1195 one
hundred-thousands of a gram It would
take 1888 motors this size to weigh |
ounce. The shaft size is O04 inches in
diameter. 1t has gold sleeve bearings.
Its horsepower is 13 billionths of one
horsepower.
Chairman Cochran of the House Com
mittee ON Expenditures recently paid
tribute to William H. McReynolds, chosen
by President Roosevelt as one of his
assistants with pssion for anonymity, -
in the permanent record of Congress as
No. l Civil Service and Classification Act
career man. MIR. McReynolds is to han
die administrative and personnel prob
lens under the Presidents general SUI
pervision He worked his way up from
a clerkship in the Post Once Depart
ment to the highest grade achievable
under the Classification Act. Mr.. Cor
eoran halls him as outstanding civil
servant"
Congress has several colored employees
of long standing who take great pride in
their work and perform valuable services
in connection with the most important
legislation. Such a one is Sam Hardy,
the courteous and efficient messenger for
the Ways and Means (tax revenue) Com
mittee. He has been on the job for 81 Il
years and had service under seven dis
tinguished chairmen: Representatives
Serene E. Payne of New York, Oscar
Underwood of Alabma, Claude Kitchin
of North Carolina, Joseph w. Fordney
of Michigan, William r. Green OF Iowa,
James w. Collier of Mississippi and Rob-
ert L. Doughton Of North Carolina. 1t is
Sans familiarity with many thousands
of documents stored in five large rooms
that makes his>service particularly valu-
able. He is directly in charge OF the i'm
portant library Of the committee.
Congressional duties have cramped the
style of one of the best drummers in the
whole United States His wrists now tire
much more quickly than they did Is to
20 years ago when he was IN his prime
Representative Jesse p Walcott of
Michigan began as a drummer boy at
the age of II in his native city Of Gard
ner, Mass. He took silver dollar, drew
its outline on the seat of hardwood
kitchen chair, and for an entire year
practiced doing the roll with his drum
sticks within that circle. At the age OF
IA he was playing with dance clubs
dances in those days were from to 12) i.
He acquired distinctive technique that
classed well with any Of the noted
Swing" drummers today. From Is to 18
he was with several noted bands and
travelled with his drums all over New
England. He went to Michigan when he
was 10 and dr,rmmed his way through
technical institute and law school, He
was tops" from 1912 to 1917, and did
mostly concert and orchestra work He
was machine gunner in the Meuse-
Argonne offensive-and after the war
rather neglected his drums.