Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-07
Nebraskan Shows
Capital How to
Evade Red Tape
Frank Harrison, Lincoln
Newspaper Man, Is Subject
Of Extended Editorial
in Baltimore Sun.

Washington, May o.-Under the
heading OF 80 Anew Man in Wash
ington," the Baltimore Sun indulges
IN an extended editorial on Frank
A. Harrison OF Lincoln. Neb.. dep
uty commissioner general OF the
United States commission 10 the Bra
lillian exposition. The Nebraskan
is described as Main street news
paper editor who does his own stem
ogging" on occasion, and in general
as an "irreeoneilable" when j, comes
10 dispensing with useless jobs and
job hunters, red tape and expense.
The editorial is rs follows:
Critics OF government and advo-
Gates OF federal economy and re-
trenchment should be informed OF the
arrival in Washington OF new man.
fresh from the prairies. and a new
idea. II so happens that MAIN
Street" newspaper editor in Nebraska.
Frank Harrison by name, by some
quaint turn Of politics has been made
the commissioner in charge OF the
American exhibit at the Brazilian
centennial exposition. which opens in
Rio dc Janeiro next September.
Job List Is Low.
Mr.. Harrison has an appropriation
oil $l,000.00O to work with. He ex-
poets TO spend only small fraction
OF this amount. He was assured by
various dignltaries, job hunters and
Otherwise, that he must have staff
OF several hundred executive assist
ants, technical experts. research work.
ers, trade attaches, etc, to do his
work properly. Up to date Mr.. Har-
rison has employed six men and a
stenographer. When the office is
rushed he pitches in and does his
own "stenogging," as he calls it. his
own envelope addressing and other
odd jobs that his newspaper ex-
pericnce taught him how to. do.
Cuts Hughes Request.
The State department sent the
Nebraska editor demand for SlO,O0O
in connection with the exposition pre-
parations a few days ago. He coun-
tered with a demand for an itemiza-
ton OF the sums to be spent. When
ii was received he sent this word to
one OF Secretary Hughes assistants:
"That work can be done for $2,5W
without any trouble at all. Come
over here and I'll show you how to
do it." The State department digni-
tary did not come. but accepted the
81, 500 without further parleying. Sew
eraf thousand peremptory demands
have been made upon Mr.. Harrison
from senator's, representatives, poll
ticians Of high and low degree for
"jobs" within his Jurisdiction. He
always asks: docs your candidate
speak Spanish" Invari'joly they
answer: "Yes. They will fit in the
work in Rio splendidly." He replies
to that: We'll, the Brazilians speak
not Spanish, but modified Portuguese.
But there are not going to be any
jobs here for anybody anyway"
Makes Big Coupe.
"The biggest coup Of this econo-
ff,ist from the prairies has been to
make the regular employees in the va
rious departments do the work OF
preparing the specialized exhibits for
him. No outside aid has been need
ed. For instance, the Department
of Agriculture has made the plans
for the agricultural exhibit; the bu-
reau Of mines for the mineral exhibit,
etc. The routineer politician would
have found all this work a fallow field
ior special appointments for his
hcnchmen.
"All Of this is merely a homely,
plain, common-sense illustration OF
what federal economy and retrench-
ment really means. There is moth
ing csoteric or even scientific about
it when genuine "irreconcilable"
reaches Washington. The man who
wants to defeat red tape can do so,
crowded he can stand the pressure
brought to bear against him. In the
present case the Nebraska editor hap
pens to have the confidence of Presi-
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