Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-05
POLITICS AND DINNERS
Attendance al Social Functions I'm
portant Part Of the Duties Of Ex'
ecutives, as Sproul and Moore
Are Finding Out
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

~ the few out of town guests at the in
formal dinner given by Charles NJ. Schwab
at his residence in New York to Admiral
Jellicoe Of England late first lord of the
admiralty.
Some cynically observant Englshman once
said the principal function of British royalty
was to lay corner stones and open hospitals.
This may be true of our ally, but in this
republic of states it is fact that a great
part of the official duty of governors and
mayors of great cities is of a purely social
character.
In such matters they never lose their
identity as representatives of state or city.
Governor Sproul, in the brief period in
which he has filed the Office, has been called
upon more frequently than any of his pre-
dccessors, I think to grace social functions.
And it will continue to the end of his term.
Personality has great deal to do with it.
Mayor elect Moore has had, even before
assuming the duties of his office, an expert
cncc suggestive of what awaits him in this
direction.
As u congressman. dinners and receptions
were frequent affairs. AS Mayor they will
become epidemic. If he accepted every in
vitation to dinners. public and private,
lunchcons and kindred social affairs that he
is ccwain to receive he would have no time
for municipal duties.
Worse still be would likely be dead inside
of six months.
A CHANGE of oficcholdcrs in rural coun-
ties is. as rule. rarely accompanied by
the wholesale uphcavals in department stats
that characterize such changes in large cities
Montgomery county is sample. While
there was only one break in Republican
party lines, that of county commissioner,
the newly elected officials have made few
changes in the old Office personnel.
Horace Smedey, of Lower Merton, new
county controller, continues his present
deputies. The county commissioners will re-
tain the old staff of officials, while Register
of Wills Robert G. Miller and Recorder of
Wills Paul ID. Schneider will also retain their
present forces.
Hymns of thanksgiving would rise by the
thousands were such an easy going system
to prevail when a change of administration
takes place in this city.
A S MAYOR ELECT MOORE assumes the
\ duties of his Office in the big building iu
Penn square, hc will enjoy the unique dis
tinction of having private secretary who
Is not political appointcc, a casual friend
or mere acquaintance.
Durrcll Shuster knows all the moods and
lenses, personal pccularitics. likes and dis
likes--for the Mayor Of a great city is only
human-thc incomings and outgoings, the
tcmperamental characteristics, and even the
soup, fish and salads peculiar to the
| appetite of the new chief magistrate.
For matter of fourteen years now ].
Hampton Moore and Durrell Shustcr have
logged along in the relative capacity of
public official and private secretary
| The association began back in the days
Of the old City Trust, when Shuster was a
! clerk and Moore was first the president and
subsequent receiver Of the company.
| When Congressman Moore was elected
president of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways
Association ShuSter was named assistant
secretary. As a result, next to the Mayor
elect. he is perhaps the best posted man on
this work between Cape Cod and the Florida
| Keys.
His great opportunity now arises of be-
! coming the best posted man in Philadelphia
on Philadelphia affairs.
d OBERT A. STRlNE claims Ridley Park
IN as his home, but he spends nine months
| of the year away from his iresde.
| Theatrical managers opera folk and the
amusement world generally will remember
Bob Strnc as connected with the finan-
! cial end Of such enterprises fifteen years or
| more ago He is u brother of the late
! Charles w. Strine, wcllknown Phladel
phan. who was manager of the Boston
| Opera Co.. and subsequently manager of
! Mcba tho songstrcss.
Bob Strinc is as big, impressive and con
fdcnt now as hc4was in the hectic period Of
the past
For years he has been what he terms an
Educator. He spends his time in the
cotton districts of the South among planta-
ton owncrs--hc calls them farmers-edu-
eating them on the future possibilities Of
that industry
lie is the field representative of the Ma
tional Cotton Association and rubs elbows
| with bankers, spuncrs and ''ginners" as
| we'll as planters.
The big idea behind it is to promote a
| better understanding between the individual
factors VINO have to do with cotton from the
moment the seed is dropped in the soil until
it cmcrgcs from the loom as finished
| product.
The small planter today throughout the
South. with cotton skyrocketing in the mar
! kets of the world isn't Il bit better off than
he was ten years ago. Mr.. Strine says. His
condition is deplorablc. Mr.. Strine's work
is to organize all factors in the industry for
the promotion of a more equitable distribu
ton of profits, and primarily to stimulate
a greater output
The worlds consumption of cotton is
steadily increasing and greater production is
Imperative. Best of all, the cotton men OF
the South, he says, arc awakening to their
opportunities and eagerly grasping the ideas
that he presents.
TOSEPH FRALINGER, whose name is
- familiar to most people who visit Atlantic
City, is not, oddly enough, resident Of that
famous resort. lie is n near Philadelphian
lie has a beautiful home on the side OF
Spring mountain within sight of the late
Governor Pcnnypackcr's estate in upper
Montgomery county. He has lived there for
nearly a score of years.
lie rarely visits Atlantic City and only
on business. He lives a quiet life and only
occasionally motors down to Philadelphia
OF late years he has spent his winters il
| Nn