The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1958-01-09
THIS WEEK
I'M
WASHINGTON

REP. JOHN f. HENDERSON
This was the week of the big
move at our house. In anticipa-
tion of the reconvening of Con-
gress on January z, my family
piled suitcases, books, bicycles,
toys and household items into
rented trailer and headed over
the mountains for the Nations
Capital. Two small Henderson
children bemoaned their fate of
having the Christmas tree torn
down less than a week after
Christmas. Jimmy, after spend
ing the fall semester in school in
Cambridge, is returning to the
same school he attended in Wash
ington last year and he views the
prospect with mixed emotions.
During our stay in Washington
my office on the second floor Of
the Central National Bank Build
ing will be open during the week
and on Saturday mornings for
anyone who wishes to discuss
matters of interest to them. Let
ters may be addressed to me in
Washington, where the address is
Room 1856, Old House Office
Building, Washington, D. c. My
office telephone in Washington
is Capitol 4-3121, Extension 3411
or 3412
While Congressman were in
their home districts over the holi-
days, there was an opportunity
for cleaning, painting, and re-
pairs in some of the Capitol cor
ridors and offices. People from
48 states are flocking back with
files, papers, packages, and new
| ideas of. the needs and desires Of
| the people back in the home dis
trict. Groups Of congressman
| gather in the corridors and be-
come crowds after others join
them in discussing pressing is
sues and varying points of view
There is an expresSion-a kind Of
combination of a knowing grin,
I've got a secret, pain, antici-
patton, distaste, and Illustration
on the face Of the legislator who
repeats the noW-trite This is
really going to be a session." He
actually doesn't need to say it for
it's been said so many times that
when the expression appears on
his face, the white-painted walls
in the long corridors automatic
ally begin to echo the phrase. The
phrase is also repeated in bold
print between the lines of every
page of every Washington news
paper. They say that it is moon
madness, man-made-moon-mad-
| ness.
Fewer familiar faces will be
seen in 1858. Death and resig-
nations have taken their toll, We
have lost six members of our 1875
in the House of Representatives
in II months. On the other side
of Capitol Hill, the Senate scene
| will be the same with all 96 SEN
ators returning for the closing
| portion of the 85th Congress.
The favorite question in the
Railways is whether member is
going to seek another term and
the choicest bit of Capitol gossip
is the disclosure of the name ot
someone who has decided to re,
turn to private life.
| Office assistants have beer
notified to expect long hours ano
| weeks in the long months ahead
as Congress begins work on the
more than $4,000 bills that are
legacy from the first session. In
addition, thousands more will be
dropped into the hopper as the
new one begins.
All signs point to a quicker re-
sumption of legislative work thi:
year. Past congressional habits
would call for a quiet January
and February while the program
for action is hoisted and maneuV
cred into place behind the scenes
This year, however, a series o.
issues is ready to overflow i'm
mediately and there is no ques
ton that the volume Of the con
: gressional calliope will be regu
) lated by the steam these issue
have generated since last Sep
| tember.
:. Debate will start officially fol
| lowing the Presidents State o
the Union Message on Januar.
8. This speech will set the ton'
of the legislative program. Sev
= eral weeks will then elapse Will
the congressional pipeline is fill
= ed with legislation ready for fina
A debate.
: In the meantime, speeches o.
' many subjects will be the orde
D of the day as members harangu
each other in training for the ora
torical hassles to come.
e Farmers, laborers, militar
t people, federal employees, cities
= states, governmental depart
= ments, veterans, industries, in
e stitutions, are all pressing an
: waiting for. legislation of partic
y ular interest to them. All of thes