Carless Speaker

Careless Speaker

A subject of great banter between the late Nicholas Longworth and John Nance Garner was the fine limousine supplied to the Speaker of the House (TIME, Nov. 17, 1930). Last year's car was transferred to the Senate and the Treasury was prepared to buy a brand new one for Speaker Garner. Last week the blunt little Texan announced:

"I'm not going to take the car. I don't need it and I believe in setting an example in Government economy. It doesn't take an auto to make an office dignified. Mrs. Garner and I walk from our hotel to Peace Monument every day the weather permits. There we usually take one of those 20¢ taxicabs for the ride up Capitol Hill. A car costs about $5,000 a year— $3,000 for the machine and $2,000 for a driver to sit in it all day. I don't want anybody sitting around all day waiting for me."

During the first week of his Speakership, Mr. Garner smashed three new gavels pounding for order.