Evening star., 1941-09-28
Capital SideIights
By Will p. Kennedy.

The new chairman Of the House COM
mittee originating funds for national
defense and armament fittingly is named
Cannon" The House, following the
recommendation of its Ways and Means
Committee and the honored seniority
rule and with Representative Clifton
A. Woodrum Of Virginia refusing to be
a candidate against him, elected Repre-
sentative Clarence Cannon of Missouri
to fill the appropriations Craftsmanship
vacated by the death of the veteran
Representative Edward T. Taylor OF
Colorado. Having worked his way up
from teacher of a one-room country
school, won recognition as an outstand-
ing parliamentary authority and gained
80 years of experience at the Capitol,
Mr.. Cannon comes well equipped to his
new post. His first employment In the
House, in 1911, was as stenographer to
the late Grand Old Warhorse" of de-
mocracy, Speaker Champ Clark. He was
promoted to journal clerk, then was par
liamentarian. which latter position he
also held under Republican Frederick G.
Gillett. Elected as Mr.. Clark's successor
in Congress, he has been member since
1922. AS chairman Of the Appropria-
tions Committee he follows such diStin-
guished men as the martyred President
James A. Garfield of Ohio the matchless
James A. Tawney of Minnesota and the
picturesque Uncle Joe" Cannon of I'LL
nois.
Mr.. Cannon has watched and and
studied the growth of the National Cap
ital for 80 years and is familiar with its
problems. His interest was broadened
as chairman of the Subcommittee on
District Appropriations, to which he was
appointed during the depression of
1881. In those dark days of stringent
budgets and tax delinquencies under
his guidance District expenditures were
trimmed to make possible reduction
in the property tax rate. Prior to his
designation to the Appropriations Com
mittee in 1929 Mr. Cannon served on
the Committees on Roads. Pensions and
Accounts. He surrendered the ranking
minority place on those committees to
join the powerful Appropriations Com
mittee and during the twelve years Of
his service on that committee he has
been on subcommittee on appropriations
for the legislative branch, State Justice,
Commerce, Labor and Agriculture De-
partments, the District of Columbia and
the Subcommittee on deficiencies, -
which handles supplemental and def
cheney items for all branches of the
Government, as well as the controversial
relief bill and national defense appro-
priations. He served three years as
chairman of the District of Columbia
Subcommittee and five years as chairman
of the Agriculture Subcommittee During
the four-year incumbency of Chairman
Taylor, who on account of his advanced
age frequently and for long periods was
unable to be at the Capitol, Mr.. Cannon
served as acting chairman of the whole
committee
He has established himself as an
authority on parliamentary procedure
through publication of "Cannon's Prece-
dents of the House." which was 20 years
in preparation; three editions of Can
mons Procedure in the House" several
editions of the Manual and Digest" the
article on parliamentary law for the En-
cyclopedia Britannica as well as the
Americana, and four editions of the
Democratic Convention Manual"