Evening star., 1939-02-19
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy

Another veteran Capitol employe has
just received recognition for efficient
services in the legislative appropriation
bill. which was before the House on
Thursday and Friday He is William A.
Frederick. landscape architect for the
Capitol Grounds, who during the past
three years has had the extra (and
unremunerated duty of building up the
United States Botanic Garden, Congress
has been pleased with the way in which
he has performed this additional work,
and has given him an increase in sal
ary. Mr.. Frederick has had the best of
practical experience and university
training in all branches of botany, hor-
ticulture and landscaping art and for
many years has been a popular speaker
before floral societies and garden clubs
all over the country. He has been in
charge Of the Capitol Grounds for %
years.
In this same bill Congress has au-
thorized Mr.. Frederick to acquire what
is considered to be the finest collection
Of acacias in the world which will be
on display in the exhibition conserva-
tory soon after the start of the fiscal
year on July l. This collection includes
l55 plants, many of them as large as 16
feet, and of more than 20 outstanding
varieties.
Tribute to the late George R. Holmes,
as ''one of Washington's most distin-
guished newspaper men, is paid in the
Congressional Record by Representative
Joseph w. Martin. minority leader in the
House, who said, in part: Mr.. Holmes
life work is a sterling example to those
who seek achievement in the field of
journalism. He was able, alert and a
keen observer. Above all he was fair and
just. Newspaperdom and the country
can i'll afford the loss particularly in this
crucial period when America needs men
of courage. of vision and character"
X X
Most unique" among the 1873 memo
rials placed by States or patriotic socie-
ties in the Washington Monuments is
that of Arizona, according to Rep
resentative John r. Murdock, who
has just made a personal study of
them. This consists of three united
cross-sections of polished petrified wood
unlike anything else in the towering
obehsk because it was taken from a
giant tree in the petrified forest of
Northern Arizona, which had been mil
lions of years in formation President
Calvin Coolidge attended the unveiling
ceremonies on April Is, 1924. The Ari-
IONA State Society is now having the
States name on this memorial stone
embellished with gold leaf
An appeal to Congress to have Febru-
ary II next year celebrated as a national
holiday in commemoration Of the 93d
birthday anniversary of Thomas Alva
Edison, who during his lifetime received
1,150 patents and was responsible for
basic processes later developed into great
industries, has been made by Repre-
sentative Albert L. Vreeland OF
New Jersey He emphasizes that
at the time, of Edison's death in 1881,
the industries arising directly from his
inventions represented an investment OF
more than $25,ooO,ooo 900 and were di-
rectly providing employment for 2,000,-
600 persons, out OF the 100000 persons
gainfully employed in this country. Many
suggestions made by Edison more than
IS years ago have been applied in the
United States through governmental en-
deavor to stabilize economic conditions.
Visitors this summer to the New York
Worlds Fair and the Golden Gate In
ternational Exposition in San Francisco
will have an opportunity to see WASH
ington States outstanding features lin
almost as much reality as If they were
taking a personally conducted trip
through the famed evergreen empire"
according to Representative Warren G.
Magnuson. Duplicate exhibits are being
arranged and the sightseeing" effects
are contrived through the use Of nine
animated dioramas, $500 square feet OF
photomural wall decorations and u
phototransparencies The dioramas, as
the central feature. display actual scenes
In the State In three-dimentional reality.