Evening star., 1943-02-14
Capital SideIights
By viii P. Kennedy.

One of the most popular and efficient
veteran employees of the House, James
F. Scanlon, editor for the Appropriations
Committee, sometimes called Bishop"
out of wide and varied experience in
life, is a guide and friend to many.
Next Tuesday he will round out quar-
ter of century of service with the COM
mittee, the largest in Congress. His
associates on the clerical staff and more
than score of veteran House members
are planning to make the anniversary
memorable. Nothing is too good for
good old Jim" Is their slogan.
Jim Scanlon came from Louisville, KY,
with the late Representative J. Swagar
Shirley in 1915. For three years he was
assistant bill clerk of the House, and on
February Is, 1918, entered upon his
duties as assistant clerk to the Appro-
priations Committee. He has served
under nine chairmen. His special job is
to edit hearings and assist in the general
work OF the committee in preparing bills,
resolutions and reports. He is in charge
of all contact work with the depart
ments and independent establishments
Of Government. He also is responsible
for purchasing supplies and equipment
for the committee. He supervises the
nf ho oil ,,d
stenographers engaged upon the hear
ings held by the II subcommittee. He
has supervision of the equipment and
supplies and mechanical care of the COM
mittees Offices. He has compiled, edited
and indexed about 600 volumes. AS a
comparison Of the volume of work re-
quired'in preparing these hearings, the
fiscal years 1918, 1919, 1912 and 1943 have
been considered. In 1918 there were s
volumes, with 8,198 typed pages and
1866 printed pages: 1919, II volumes,
1850 typed pages, $500 printed pages;
1912, 80 volumes. 47,939 typed pages, TO-
573 printed pages; l943 % volumes, ST.
$50 typed pages l4763 printed pages.
The great -great-grandson of Matthew
Lyon, who in the House 142 years ago
cast the single vote deciding the election
of Thomas Jefferson-J. B. Lyon of
Jacksonville. Fla.-on Wednesday cele-
brated his 87th birthday anniversary in
company with his brother, j. M Lyon,
who Is 81 This was brought to the at
tention of the House by Representative
Emory H. Price, who represents the
Jacksonville district. Both of the Lyon
brothers have been editors and publish
ers. Their grandfather, first son
of Matthew Lyon, was apprenticed to
Benjamin Franklin. At the termination
of his apprenticeship Col. Lyon bought
printing press from Franklin and had
it hauled by oxen to Fair Haven, VT a
town which he had built On this press
he and his son James printed the scath-
ing criticisms of President Adams, which
provoked passage of the alien and sedi-
ton laws, under which the elder Lyon
was put in jail. He is the only man in
United States history elected to Con-
gres5 while in prison.
Out Of the 531 members of Congress
in the present Seventy eighth Congress
there are % of the 96 Senators and 161
House members, or total of 189 war
veterans. Twenty-Five Senators served
in the Army, five in the Navy and one in
the Marine Corps. Senators Tom Con-
naEy and Guy M. Gillett served in the
Spanish-A War and Senator
Gillett again donned the uniform in the
World War. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge,
jr., is the only Senator who has seen
service in the present war. In the House
126 members have served with the Army,
81 with the Navy and in the Marine
Corps. In the Spanish-American War
Representatives. Culkin, Michener, Rogers,
Pennsylvania; WadSWorth, White and
Woodruff, Michigan, were in service.
MeSsrs. Culkin and Woodruff again
served in the First World War. Those
who saw service in both the First World
War and the present conflict are Rep
reseutatives Mas, Satterfield, Scott,
Van Zandt and Walter In the present
war others who have served are Repre-
sentatives Lyndon B. johnson, Magnu-
son. Will Rogers, jr, and Worley.