Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-16
HAYS GOES TO THE MOVIES

.~o wv AAoo$ SAoS l. .
master General Hays is shortly to leave the cabinet
and enter the moving picture field as head of a
national association of producers and distributors.
Mr.. Hays will be the second cabinet official to
yield to the lure of the movies, Mr.. McAdoo having
been the first.
This action on the part Of Mr.. Hays was fore
cast some little time ago. and the announcement
brought forth some very severe criticism, though
on what basis it is not easy to- understand. The
substance of the criticism was that the drafting of
MT. Hays from his place in the cabinet TO head a
moving picture concern was an indication of a deep
and dark conspiracy whereby this interest, which
has become one of the most powerful in the country,
was to assume practically dictatorial, powers in. the
affairs of the nation. 1t was pointed cut that the
postmaster general, because of the character Of his
work, comes into contact with more people, dis
tributed over a greater area, than does any other
public official. Directly or indirectly he is in touch
with every p~ostoffice and every postmaster i'm the
land, and he understands thoroughly the means
necessary to use the facilities {. the postoffice to
carry on a campaign Of publicity to the best .advant-
age. The connection, in the minds of the critics,
is clear. Hays, being in touch with the public
through its postal facilities, is to use the knowledge
which he has gained for the benefit of a great COM
nercial corporation, and to place that corporation
IN a position where it can, through legislation and
special administrative favors, gain advantages which
will fix firmly its monopolistic control.
That is all nonsense. There is no danger to the
-. ~''tS AS H%AAAe"o SSn~Ao q IIAo" w
his Job and enter upon another field OF work. And
there is every reason for the conviction that the
reason why those interested in this corporation have
been willing to enter into relations with Mr.. Hays
is that they recognize in him a clean and capable
business man with an extraordinary abiity>whicl,
will be invaluable inAhat particular kind Of occupa-
tion.N ~
Mr.. Hays served for SOME time as chairman of
the Republican national committee. Serving i1-that
capacity he had perform an enormous amount of
work. and tn exercise an 11s1,rc ,o,,p rs <,ok.,,J
Judgment. He performed his work we'll, and 1t is
to be remembered that he labored streruously to
conduct that work in such a manner that it would
reflect credit upon him, not merely as a. business
man and organizer, but as a high-,ninded and patri-
Otto citizen. Dirty tricks are too frequently PLAYED
in politics. 1t is not of record that Will Hays ever
played or even countenanced one. He carried into
the political work which he had undertaken the
spirit OF honor which is expected to actuate men in
their business relations but which is too often
ignored when political exigencies are pressing.
1t is unfortunate, and perhaps it is unavoidable,
that the compensation which the government paws
ITS servants does not compare with that which is
offered IN private business, and that the competent
man VINO holds a responsible government position
does so as a pecuniary sacrifice which onlvva few
men are able to afford.
There IS also food for thought in the TACT that
on three Conspicuous occasions men holding high
official positions have found the financial compen-
sation which the government does not give, mot in
the held OF the kind Of industry which we are accus-
toned to call constructive, but in the work of organ
izing and supervising forms OF entertainment. Two
Iof these are the cases of Hays and McAdoo, in both
OF which their governmental relations were discon-
t,nued before private employment was accepted!
Inc third is the case of Judge Lands, who did not
think it necessary to resign his position on the bench
before accepting a highly paid position as a baseball
magnate. 1t is often suggested that the country is
running too strongly in the direction OF entertain
ment, and sometimes it seems as if this may be true.