Evening star., 1915-12-24

money INTO baskets or 1000 1Or poor
families in the neighborhood OF 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue, where
the Department of Commerce quarters
are located.
Baskets Filled With Food.
With the money collected, eight bas-
kets. each with good. substantial
Christmas dinner packed in II, were
prepared and are now in the kitchens
of the homes of the needy families. In
each basket was packed a ten-pound
ham, one-half peck of potatoes. a
anarter of a peck of apples. six pounds
o. flour. one pound of butter,- three
leaves of bread. two pounds Of sugar.
one bag of salt. one quart of hominy.
one pound OF lard and one pound of
coffee. And just as the baskets were
leaving some candy was put in to make
it seem more like Christmas.
The disbursing Office had the CO.
operation of the churches in the yictn-
ity in picking out the most needy
families 4r..-
But the clerks had their Christmas
celebration. too. There was tree. and
rated. Secretary Redfield made an ad-
dress to the employees of the office and
other officials of the department
Celebration at IL O'Clock.
The celebration in the chief clerks
ONCE began at IL o'clock. e. W. Lib
hey. monarch of Kallipolis Grotto, act
ed as Santa Claus. Clarence C. Weide-
mann explained the object of the gath
ering. Secretary Redf1eld received a
large silk flag, typifying his efforts in
behalf of American industries. AS
sistant Secretary Sweet also was pres
ent. !,
To each present was attached a hu-
fn'rous verse. Of which the following
~ nut II nf Init IA
iary to the Secretary, who received a
santa Claus outfit, was an example:
"-F~ss the night before Christmas" :.
70 the old story goes.
J:ut the, soon narrowed it down to a logical art
And elected grandpa to play the part.
Now. WHO do you think played the part OF the
Why. none other than Grandpa U. Grant Smith.
Secretary Credits Employees.
Efficient and courteous treatment
given by the employees of the Depart
ment of Commerce to those who sought
information has been recognized by
call on the department, Secretary Red
field explained in his address. All OF
the thanks received. the Secretary told
them. belonged to the employees.
He told the employees that during
the year the biologists of the fish COM
mission had discovered that the life
of a fish could be told by the number
of rings on the scales. in the same
manner that the life of tree could be
told by the number of rings in the
trunk. He urged the employees OF the
department so to improve their work
during the year that they would ex-
pand and their work would not show
as one ring over the other.
The employees of the department, he
said. are a happy family. They are
human beings. and the department Is
not simply bricks and rooms and ma
chinery. He congratulated the en-
ployes on their work of the year, and
told them of three letters he had re-
ceived-one from a member of Con-
gress and two from business houses
telling of the efficient ana courteous
treatment they had received at the
hands of the ofYicials and clerks.
Addresses the omeials.
In the disbursing ONCE. where about
200 officials had gathered, Secretary
Re,Ifeld said he was glad to have the
opportunity to get away from the triv-
iai things. II one stuck too close to
matters trivial one was likely to gei
SO close to the grindstone as to think
that was all in life 1t IL good thing
to have a chance to get rid Of the
grindstone once in a while
n replica of the work Of November. he
said. II IL is. no advance has beer
made and the business fs running right
in the same spot. II 10 the careless
worker, he said. that holds America
back. and he told those present the,
should always keep in mind the slogan
Advance In America.
The work that is being done by the
departrnent, he went on. ia being done
well, and in courteous manner. Durinl
the year great advances have been made
by the department. There 10 more safety
at sea and more respect for the law.
During the coming year, he said forge'
the Individual Offices and get above ths
xrindstone. and see what u going on
lie said he wished he could speak to tn,
employees in Alaska. the lone keeper II
the lighthouse, or the men in the lonely
iizhtships. for it takes character to d.