The Washington herald., 1907-02-17
Secretary StrauS MOderniz
ing His Department.
IMPROVEMENT, NOT REFORM
Twelve Bureaus of Department of
Commerce and Labor Generally
Credited with Working More
smoothly Thnn Any of the Great
Branches of the Executive Service.

( most successful business men ia the coun-
try, Secretary Straus was one Of the first
members of the Cabinet to adopt the
suggestion Of the Keep Commission that
a committee on business methods should
/ be a part Of the machinery Of each de-
partment. He has chosen from his own
/ office three men, 10 act under Assistant
! Secretary Lawrence o. Murray. as his
personal representatives in investigating
methods Of transacting routine business
/ in the twelve bureaus OF the Department
of Commerce and Labor. This committee
will make its recommendations to the
Assistant Secretary, who will adopt them
or reject them as seems proper.
| Tt must not be assumed that the pur-
/ pose Of Secretary Straus IS violent ere
| form. II is merely Improvement Every
| business man knows there is always room
/ for it in any system. and although the
/ Department Of Commerce and Labor IS
/ generally credited with working more
/ smoothly and being less bound by red
/ tape than any OF the great branches Of
! the executive service, no doubt IL has stiH
room for improvement. The results Of
/ this committees work will be watched
closely by people interested I'm depart
mental affairs. The members are Mr.. VIII
! liam l.. Soleau, Dr. George W. Leadley.
/ and Dr. George c. Havenner, each Of
whom has proven his ability in distinct
/ class Of departmental work.
william l.. Solemn.
William J., Soleau is one Of the young
men in Washington who deliberately
chose the government service as a life
work. and by displaying diligence and
executive ability has found I'm It career.
As disbursing clerk Of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor he has control Of
81. $4,000 expended each year in the nu-
merous branches Of that department His
interest IN departmental matters is by
no means confined 20 his office, however.
as he was chosen by the Keep Commits
sion, on account IF his proven ability in
that line, as one Of the members OF the
4 assistant committee on departmental sup
plies The recommendations Of this COM
mttee are now in the hands Of Congress
with q request for appropriate legislation
Mr. Soleau was appointed 20 position
/ IN the Pension Office I'm July. ISIS az
salary OF 500 "A year Through the reg
ular course Of promotion he advanced
steadily. and August &C. 1SSf was ap-
pointed assistant chief OF the finance di-
vision In October 1889 he was made
chief of the division, from which posi-
ton he was drafted into the broader ser
vice OF the Department of Commerce and
Labor. March IS 1853 OF his work in
helping 20 organize the department Sec
Rotary Cortciyou said in bis first annual
report.
In no pcrfunctory spirit acknowledge
the failhfUl, uuwavering assistance Civ
en- % nae by the membersof nay immediate
STAFF in the preliminary work Of organi-
cation and I include as deserving this
just recognition in AN especial degree.
James r Garfield, commissioner OF cor
poratious. Frank H. Hitchcock chief
clerk 81 the department and William /.
Soleau, disbursing and appointment clerk.
They have been In the department from
its beginning. ana have had an active and
potential part in its organization. Many
OF the staff have worked daily far be-
yond the usual Office hours. No one de-
voted 90 the interests OF a private bust
ness could have rendered more loyal ser
vice than have they In these early days
Of the departments life. They know
how much the head Of the department
owes To them for their cooperation. He
can only express i'm this simple way his
public recognition Of the value of their
services. and of Che splendid example
they have set OF a high ideal II duty"
DIR. George W. LeadIcy.
Born nearly forty years ago at Webster
Y. Y, Or. LeadIey was LEFT an orphan
at an carly age. and was thrown on his
own resources before he had finished bis
preparatory collegiate course. In 1881
he entered the State Normal and Train
ing School, at GeHesee. y. Y. and COM
pleted "A course IN classical and scientific
studies In 1859 he was appointed 10 a
clerkship In the Office of the Civil Ser
vice Commission. and was promoted step
by step until he became chief of the
service records division, which he or
ganized in 1897. He has conducted civil
service examinations and made inspec-
tons and Investigations in nearly every
State and Territory. one Of his mos:
important assignments was to the task
of establishing the civil service system
i'm Porto Rico, which was successfully
accomplished in the early part Of 1902
After completing that work he was ten
dered the position Of commissioner on the
declined.
On the recommendation Of James r
Garfield, commissioner Of corporations. |
and formerly a civil service commission
er, he was selected by Secretary Cortel- |
you in February, 1904, 10 organize the ap- |
pointment division in the Department of /
Commerce and Labor. On July J. 1908. |
the position Of chief of the appointment 1
division was recognized by statute, and /
he was appointed 20 the position by Sec |
rotary Metcalf. His ability as shown by /
the development Of the division over /
which he has presided has been recog- 4
niZed by his appointment on the commit /
tee on business methods. He is also Ser-y-
ing on the committee on personnel. a sub /
of the Keep Commission, on /
the board to examine into charges against !
employees and is designated to represent
the department on the board Of labor en- /
ployment created by the Executive order
of November j., 1904
DIR. Leadley commenced the medical /
course in the Columbian NOW George /
University. in 1890. and was
graduated with hOnors in 1898. He is prom /
inently connected with Masonic organi-
cations in this city.
DIR. George c. HaVenuer.
The third member of the committee. DR..
George G. Havenner. has come up from
the ranks OF the printers at the Govern
ment Printing Office through hard work
and perseverance After serving his ap-
premiership In the composing rooms Of
various local book and job printing Offices
he was appointed in 1851 to a position as
in the Government Printing
Office. Two years later he was trans
ferred 10 the MAR, proOfrOOm where he
held a position continuously as proof
reader and reyiser until 1902. when he re-
signed to enter the Bureau of Statistics.
then in the Treasury Department. While