The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1913-10-04

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MTN ment, would sink into insight
M w icance when compared to any
A " Of a score Of positions in the
government service at Wash
ingtOn that have just been filled by
the new administration. These big
jobs. nearly every one OF which has to
do with the well-being of millions of
the people and carries with it greater
responsibility than all civil life can
parallel. pay. on the average, $4,000 a
year. Quite naturally a five-thousand-
dollar man is not big enough for such
a job. So the appointive power
throws out the dragnet for men big
enough for the given task who place
public service above profit. or who
regard the distinction Of federal Of
flee as compensation. or who are men
of parts despite the fact that they may
not have yet gained such financial
standing as to make hundred dol
lars a week look unattractive. Have
a look at some of these jobs. says w.
A. DuPuy, in the Philadelphia Record.
uUOtdU SOII1tTtSotOUSUs
Take, for instance. the commission
er of Indian affairs. That official Is in
reality the administrator of a great
estate. This estate is valued at $780,
100000. 1t is the biggest estate In
the world There are 100000 heirs
to 1t. They are mostly, in the eyes OF
the law, minor heirs and the estate
must be managed for them, their
moneys must be collected, must be ta-
ken care OF, must be distributed. Not
only this, but each of the individuals
in the 100000 must be carefully look
ed after. He must be kept healthy.
He must be given the advantages Of
schooling. He must be led toward self
supporting manhood. He must be
given the rights Of manhood whenever
he proves himself fit.
The man who is responsible for the
administration of so huge an estate
should be a man of unimpeachable
character and of many parts. 1t fell to
Secretary Lane of the department OF
the interior. to find such man. He
dragged the country for the individual
Of just the right qualifications and ex
perience. Finally he settled upon Cato
Sells of Cleburne. Texas. for the post
Mr.. Sells was not q candidate for the
post, but was appointed only after
special agents of the department had
looked into every step In his career
with the idea of determining whether
or not he was the right sort of man
to handle one of the most trying posts
In the government service.
Chief Patronage Dispenser.
Over in the postoffice department Is
appointing $1,000 postmasters. In ad
dition to this he Is the chief of staff Of
an army of $4,000 clerks and letter
carriers. In addition to this he Is the
superintendent of 10000 postoffices
and has the control of the policies
that govern them. And still in add
ton to this he has direct charge of the
development of the parcel post, which
Is attempting to carry packages for q
hundred million people. Altogether
no mean job.
This man is Daniel c. Roper. first
assistant postmaster general
The sixty-two thousand postmasters
who are appointed from Washington
actually receive their commissions
from the president or the postmaster
general. First Assistant Roper Is
however, the man who handles all the
detail that leads up to those appoint
ments. That army of city letter car
riers. which has increased from 10000
twenty years ago to 10000 at the pres
ent date. lie Immediately under his
care. and every rule and regulation
for its control originates In his office
The same Is true Of the $4,000 clerks
OF the $1,000 postmasters and various
other odds and ends that 60 to make
up the 10000 people who are under
the command Of the postmaster gen
eral. This first assistant is to the
postmaster general very nearly what
the chief Of star Of the army is to the
secretary of war. But he has q big
ger force to deal with, scattered ovel
vastly more territory and performing
. service of Infinitely greater detail.
Rural Organization.
In the department of agriculture .
brand new job has just come into be
ing and brand new man has beer
appointed to MI 1t. This job is one 5
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