Evening star., 1941-04-13
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy.

The quite unusual feature OF stopping
an important Government official in his
testimony to direct attention to the
ability OF veteran committee stenogra-
pher is found in hearings on the State,
Commerce and Justice appropriation
bill. Gen. Donald H Connolly, admin
istrator of civil aeronautics, was testi-
flying and had turned to the stenogra-
pher to ask whether he was talking too
fast. Representative Rabaut interrupted
to say: Il have more than once said that
this committee is made up of famous
people, and I would like to say for the
record that we have a stenographer with
us today, Albert Schneider, a member of
the official staff, who has won the worlds
professional shorthand championship
We are proud to have him here and am
directing him to take his own encomium"
The national championship used to be
an annual affair conducted by the Ma
tional Shorthand Reporters Associa-
ton. Mr.. Schneider won it in 1921 with
a top speed of 280 words minute and
varying speed for different types of die
tation. He also has the distinction of
having been chosen to work with Gov.
Cox. Democratic candidate for Presi-
dent in 1920; with John w. Davis in 1924
and Al Smith in 1923. He has been on
the job at the Capitol II years. since
December. 1928 when he won his ap-
pointment ip a competition personally
directed by Speaker Frederic H. Gillett,
with a three-voice dictation participated
in by two of the official reporters of de-
bate in the House, one of whom is still
working-H. B. Weaver Thirty-five as
pirants from all over the country were
given a stiff test Mr. Schneider had
his first workout in the Government
service just after he got out of high
school, when he was employed with the
War Industries Board under Bernard M.
Baruch. The committee stenographers
are salaried positions under legislative
appropriations Formerly there were
four of them, but the number was in
creased to six about year and a half
ago.
The family of Pou still carries on in
congressional work. with the recent ap-
pointment of Miss Caroline Pou Wad-
den as secretary to Kenneth Romney,
sergeant at arms of the House. She is
a graduate and former sweetheart" of
George Washington University in 1910,
also a graduate of Temple School for
Secretaries. She is a Kappa Kappa
Gamma Fraternity member, daughter of
Thomas Walden of the R. F. c. and
Annie Irhis Pou. Her grandfather at
the time of his death was dean of the
House and chairman of the important
Rules Committee. Many of their COL
leagues who had worked with them for
many years did not know that Chair
man Pou of the Rules Committee and
Chairman James P. Buchanan of the
Appropriations Committee were cousins.
Representative Virgil Chapman Of
Kentucky told his colleagues recently
that historical research reveals tha.
Danville. in his district, has the dis
tinction of being the first post office
In the United States west of the Ale
ghenies. He gave credit for the research
to DR.. William Jennings Price of Dam
vile and Washington. D. c., who served
as this country's Minister to the Re-
public Of Panama during both Wilson
administrations. DR.. Prices article on
this subject has been published by the
Filson Club History Quarterly.
X * X
The attention of members of Congress
has been called by Representative Fran
els D. Culkin of New York to the Theo-
dore Roosevelt Cyclopedia, a collection
OF 1000 quotations from speeches, writ
ings and letters of the 26th President.
published on the 22nd anniversary of his
death. Mr.. Culkin said that his COL
leagues will find this volume reliable
compass in our present emergency. He
quoted Theodore Roosevelt on national
character-"The prime work for this Ma
ton at this moment Is to rebuild It's own
character. Let us find our own souls; let
us frankly face the world situation TO-
day as 1t affects ourselves and as It
affects all other countries" Regarding
duty" he said: Each Of us has not
only his duty to himself, his family ana
and Nation"