The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-06-05
NEW REVENUE BOSS
WANTS HIS FORCE
T0PULL TOGETHER
Team Work Like That Practiced
by Ball Players Sought by
David n. Blair.
BY THEODORE TILLER.

David II. Blair, the new Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue. assem-
bled about him late last week some
seventy-fve chiefs and subchiefs OF
the various divisions of his depart
ment, shook hands at his first ofhciai
reception, and then said he desired to
talk a bit about a subject In which
the entire country was interested.
TT is a thing that interests approx
imately 100000, 900 folks In the United
states" began Mr.. Blair.
Certain of Mr.. Blair's official as
sistants hurriedly surmised that the
new commissioner would talk on
taxes others picked prohibition en-
fcrcement. Both subjects are handled
by the Blair bureau. stu others
imagined II might be disarmament.
economy, tariff revision, or possibly
the President.
Il want to say a few words" con-
tinued Commissioners Blair. about the
great game of baseball"
His auditors were ,-astonished; al
most astounded. Then the fans"
tapped their hands, wondering
meanwhile what the Internal Revenue
Eureau had ia do with baseball ex-
cept that T. collects war tax on
admissions to ball parks.
Commissioner Blair then told the
story of a shortstop on a bush
league" team in this nrst address to
his subordinate officials. He explained
that he was a fan" that once down
in his home city. in North Carolina
q had been captain, manager and
t owner of professional baseball
I'm. Each month. he added, he had
the pleasure OF digging down into his
rockets for money to help meet the
payroll, but he didn't mind that
"One season." said Commissioners
Blair. substantially. I'VE engaged a
new shortstop.
"In the practice games he was the
snappiest shortstop l had ever seen.
We believed we had a real find and
might sell him to the big leagues at
the end OF the season for 500 900 or
so. He was a msryel-in practice.
When the first contested game of
the season was called a big crowd was
out. Chief interest centsred in the
phenomenal shortstop. The FIRST ball
hit went to the second baseman. The
shortstop "butted into" his territory
and both missed II. Then he blamed
the second baseman for the error.
The performance was typical. Errors
afterward made by him were charged
became a disorgsnizer and a crouch.
He never had a pat on the back for
the other player and a better luck
next time, old man" He wasn't the
man he promised to be in practice, and
had TO give him the pink slip. He
was neither of minor nor big league
caliber.
HE was succeeded by a fellow who
was not star, but player OF just
ordinary ability. But when a ball was
hit to second base or third this fellow
backed his fellow player up. He did
MT charge his errors to anybody else
he had a word of encouragement when
mistakes were made; he believed in
teamwork and was an encouragement
to every fellow on the team,
THE game OF baseball is much like
the governmental work in which we
of this bureau are engaged. 1t is team
work that counts. We are not all
stars Some of, us-all of us-are
going to make errors and mistakes,
but IL we have teamwork and SYM
patty and understanding here in this
big job we are undertaking we Will get
by all right and without passing the
buck"
Being a baseball enthusiast I have
used this illustration to show what
! hope for and am confident ! shall
see here in the Internal Revenue Blu
reau--the team work that Is essential
for any undertaking such as ours"
The near 100 division chiefs and
subchiefs who heard the new COM
missioner at his first reception to
members of his official staff left the
big room firmly convinced that he
was regular fellow" and deserving
- ~ lza IL