Off-Season With the Pols

The tickets cost $6 apiece. Three for the dinner, three for the Democratic Party. It was a testimonial affair for William McMcnimen, recently retired Commissioner of Public Works in Cambridge and "personal friend" of the 800 present.

The head table, studded with unemployed Democrats, ran the length of the long wall in the Hotel Continental's banquet room. My friend and I sat at a corner table with John C. carr, state party chairman. An orchestra-a drum, piano, and saxophone-played continuos dinner music including How Much is That Dog in the Window, Frivolous Sal-and at McMcnimen's request, Your Nobody Till Somebody Loves You.

When toastmaster Michael J. Neville, a former May-of or Cambridge, Started the introductions, Carr Joined a trickle of "personal friends" heading for the exist. My friend explained that a professional politician has go to hundreds of similar affairs. When Kennedy was running last fall, he said, sometimes he went to five a day. A Mr. O'Rourke, across the table, said that the Republicans were very poor at banquet throwing. A man got a judgeship a few months ago and they couldn't get 500 out at $5 a plate.

The introductions were getting longer and the banquettes began to stand up in direct peroration to the prominence of the toastee. A few rose for Cambridge City Manager Curry and a few more for the guest of honor's brother, Frederick McMcnimen, a probate judge. About half stood up for Cambridge Mayor DeGugliclmo and a few more still for ex-Governors Tobin and Denver. The only ones to get the full honor were the female McMenimens, Mrs. DeGugliclmo, and three Catholic priests.

Those honored by the guests' rise gave a little speech. Congressman from the Eleventh District, Thomas P. O'Neill, expressed the general consensus that "Billy knew bow to operate and to take care of is friends."

Tobin drew general acclaim with "He knew how to get men on the payroll. He always seemed to know how to do it." Tobin continued, "In 1932, I thing it was, a man came up from Washington and everybody close around Boston was having a hard time putting men on. Not Billy. He always knew how to do it."

"We are gathered here," boomed Denver, "because WELIKE Billy McMenimen. He pose to the top in the crucible of East Cambridge public life and he did so because of East Cambridge public life and he did so because he was a friend to INDIVIDUAL MEN." Dever pounded with his arm on the imaginary podium. "If a man had a short week and he needed money," he went on," "Billy would reach into his own pocket and advance him that money." The people who had been talking across their tables sat up and paid attention to Dever. "If a man's mother was six, and he needed an intercessor to get her into a certain hospital, Billy would be that in tercessor. Billy McMenimen was a PERSONAL FRIEND to INDIVIDUAL MEN."

"Let's go," said my friend. "The good ones are over."