Evening star., 1943-07-11
Capital SideIights
By viii P. Kennedy.

When Congress folded its tent like
the Arab, and as silently stole away"
after the most hectic fortnight in its
history. 1t meant real relief for one
official in particular-Irving w. Swanson,
House reading clerk, who, because of
the serious illness of the two regular
reading clerks during practically the
entire session, had to bear the brunt
of roll calls of unprecedented frequency
and intricate changes in conference re-
ports on appropriation bills which were
shuttled back and forth between House
and Senate as never before. He was given
pinchhitting assistance by George ].
Maurer the time clerk at the Speakers
desk.
Mr.. Swanson is, in fact, assistant
reading clerk. He was supposed to be
breaking in on the job when the illness
of the two regular reading clerks,
Alney E. Chaffee and Roger M. Galloway,
sent them to the hospital. Previously
for nine years he had been with the
Legislative Reference Service, Library of
Congress. The problem created by the
absence of Mr.. Chaffee and Mr.. Galloway
was such that Speaker Rayburn frankly
was worried. At his request the Joint
Committee of Congress on Deferment
laid the situation before Mr.. Swanson's
draft board in Arlington. not asking
deferment but simply stating the case
and induction was delayed Mr.. Swan
son has protested that he does not want
deferment. Last fall he was selected for
an important post in the war service
for which he was especially fitted, and
a commission awaited him, but as long
as the House needed him he felt he
should obey its requirement. He is not
yet 81, and is married. Several times,
when endeavoring to preserve order in
the turbulent House, the Speaker asked
the members to "have heart" inquir-
ing whether they wished to send two
more reading clerks to the hospital call
ing attention to the strenuous task being
carried on so well by Messrs. Swanson
and Maurer
There was one man who was head of
two of the three great coordinate
branches of Government-William How
ard Taft, President and later Chief JUS
tice; father of the present Senator and
recent candidate for the presidency
Bob Taft of Ohio. President Taft
nf NJ 70
landed here in 1640 and 1860.
When Minority Leader Senator
McNary jumped the gun on the recess
resolution and adjourned himself a
week early, leaving Senator Wallace
White of Maine to carry on the Senate
Republican leadership Senator White
moved to a desk in the front row which
his grandfather, the late Senator William
P. Frye Of Maine, occupied A years ago
when Mr.. White first came to the Capt.
tol as Senator Frye's clerk. Temporarily
Senator Daniel Webster and later by
Senator Frye, now Senator Whites own
desk.
There are in the Senate today three
men who have been Governors of their
home States, Representatives and sena-
tors: Senator James G. Scrugham (Dem-
ocrat, Nevada, Governor, 1923-1e27;
member of the House of Representatives
for 10 years and now Senator, as successor
to the late Key Pittman; Senator Charles
w. Tobey Republican, New Hampshire)
who served in the New Hampshire House
for nine years and was Speaker, then in
the State Senate for two years and was
president and, now has been in the
United States Senate for 10 years, and
Senator George d. Aiken Republican,
VermonO, Speaker Of the State House
of Representatives in 1888, lieutenant
governor In 1885, Governor in 1887 and
1885, elected to the United States Senate
In 1910.