Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-18
FEDERAL SERVICE
TRAINING SCHOOL
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES GAIN
PROMOTION IN BUSINESS
WORLD.
ROBERTS, ADVANCEMENT
ONE IN LONG LIST
Training in Government Service,
Especially Treasury Department.
Equips Men For Larger Duties in
Bushes. Field-Dspartmsnts Have
Difficulty in Retaining Best Men.
Especial correspondence.)

Washington. Nov. 1S-The fact that
George E. Roberts, Of Iowa, for years
director of the United States mint, has
gone TO New York to be assistant to
the president of the National City
Bank, calls attention to the continual
procession of men from the govern
ment service into tine service of private
business houses and private business
interests.
The case of Mr.. Roberts is one of
the most noteworthy in recent years.
He enters the service of a banking
establishment which takes rank with
the foremost of this country and of
the world. He is peculiarly fitted for
the new position he has taken. having
not only broken all records for length
of service as head of the mint bureau.
but also having served for three years
as president of the Commercial Nation.
al Bank of Chicago
Treasury Training School.
In Mr.. Roberts case. the government
has not exactly been training school
for him. inasmuch as he was a keen
business man and economist before he
became director of the mint. In many
instances. the government service
proves a sort of university course to
1T men to take good positions In the
business world.
This is especially the case with the
treasury department. The men In that
department who prove themselves most
competent are in demand by banking
houses and business institutions. How
ever this IS true NOT alone OF the
treasury bur OF other departments.
Instances are coming UP constantly
OF men who have either acquired spec
la training in the government service
or who have proven their competency
IN the government service and have
then been annexed by private concerns
at better salaries 1t is the continual
complaint Of heads OF departments that
they cannot keep some Of their best
men because they are being grabbed
hy business ard private interests OF
various kinds.
President yanderlic. OF the National
City Bank himself was formerly as
sistant secretary of thu treasury. He
and Mr. Ro5erts became well acquaint-
ed there and this partly accounts for
the new position the Iowa man has.
Others Who Have Gone Higher.
George Bruce Cortelyou. after re-
nla-ka BILE career in the government
service in which he rose to be mem
Der Of the cabinet was an example
or man whose training was almost
wholly under Uncle Sam. He went
from Washington TO New York to take
"a first class position.
Milton A Allies, former assistant
secretary OF the treasury, now vice
president OF the Riggs National Bank
in Washington, stepped out of the
treasury into successful business.
Robert o. Bailey. former assistant
secretary OF the treasury, has gone TO
South America to take a leading part
in organizing the branch bank system
OF the National City Bank in that part
OF the world
Charles Dana Norton, who was as
sistant secretary OF the treasury and
then secretary to President Taft. went
into the employ OF leading New York
banking house. William Loeb. Jr:
long secretary to President Roosevelt
and then collector of the port Of New
York. has a good position with the
Guggenheims.
Army Engineers IN Demand.
Army and navy officers frequently
resign to take business positions. Army
engineers are in demand. One of the
complaints from the coast artillery Of
ficers is that their service is contin-
ually training men to be master cleo
tricians and expert mechanics and then
they are tempted into the employment
OF private houses
The department Of agriculture has
proven a good training school for
numerous young men in a variety OF
special fields of agriculture. The In
terror department mas trained lot OF
men who have then gone into private
employ or private business. The legal
department of this department has
grounded a considerable number of be-
ginners in land law and laws relating
to the public domain and they have
become specialists in 1t in outside prac-
tice.
The moral of it is that Uncle Sam
| isn't such an improbable taskmaster
after all. However, it is not always
! that government training helps in pay
ing the way to good business positions.
Some are more lucky than others.
Some who are mediocre or incompetent
| find no demand for their services out
side. Some are in situations where
their good work does not catch the eye
| OF persons outside their own offices.
But the number Of those VINO annually
quit the government service to step
into something better is much larger