Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-12-03

an engagement for that evening.
This polite avoidance OF the truth
is imperatively necessary H. the
capitol Of the nations society, for
if a cabinet officer should accept
even a small proportion of the invi-
tations presented to him he would
be in no condition to properly full
fill the oherous labors connected
with his office.
Finally the dir" ctor of the recla-
nation service l.nds his opportun-
ity, as the clock strike noon. The
people of the great reclamation
projects have been sorely tried by
the sudden decline of prices of
agricultural products and are now
facing payments for operation, wa
ter and construction charges which
now seem almost impossible for
them to meet. But each of the thirty
and more projects have their indi-
yidual circumstances which must
be taken into consideration before
the relief authorized by congress
may be granted and the hour that
is spent going over them, one by
one, ls too short to arrive at q com
plete conclusion.
Lunch Is Spread
Joe announces that in the little
inner office lunch has been spread,
and calling in the westerner who
has returned, they proceed to in
yestigate the dishes which have
been brought down from the great
cafeteria on the seventh floor
where the hundreds Of employees
obtain their lunches which are
served without profit, consider
able item in these days Of the high
cost OF living. During the progress
Of the lunch and while his guest is
eating, he glances over the clip
pings that have been laid beside his
plate. Three or four of these have
attracted his attention and these
he discusses for he knows that the
opinions of his friends from the
scenes of the activities of his depart
ment keep him in close touch with
the human side of problems which
are so often neglected by official
dom in Washington. Luncheon
over, he fills his pipe and stretches
out upon a couch for fifteen min
utes of relaxation and for the first
real smoke Of the day, for the
! cigars that he has consumed do not
compare with the fragrance or sat
! isfaction of the pleasures of the old
pipe which he learned to love when
! he pounded the head OF drill as
q young man in the mines OF New
-exico. Too soon his visit is over
and reluctantly he takes leave OF
] ~ II 40 fROTn
! the outer office, stops and shakes
hands with Charley, remarking,
He's the : me old judge, ain
| he?"
Work Speeded Up
A bureau chief of the land office
wishes to make report as to the
progress in that department. Since
taking office, by the insistence OF
the secretary, that department has
speeded up until instead of an aV-
erage Of 1000 cases disposed Of a
month the record shows that in
one month 5000 were brought to
conclusion. In strides the assistant
secretary OF the navy. with all the
snap, virility and breeziness Of
| Roosevelt. He has come to CON
suit the valued and trusted friend
of his father, upon a matter IN
which he feels the necessity u able
and dispassionate counsel. TWO
such positive minds do not linger
long over the determination of the
question In hand and the colonel
| leaves to give way to an imposing
array of oil men interested in the
California fields. Here the secre'
tary, charged with the duty of ad
ministering this territory for the
benefit of the navy, has driven a
hard bargain for the United States
and the lessees seek to modify SOM
of the provisions of the contract
They present their cases, and to
the mere observer, t conclusively
appears that there Is no possibility
of them proceeding with any profit
to themselves and that they are
facing an acutal loss in their opera
tions. Their appeals, however, Dc
not strike a responsive chord in, the
secretary's mind, for from the
drawer in his desk lie produces
data, unquestioned in its authority
which demolishes the contentious
Of the claimants and they depart
empty handed, puzzled to know
where the information of the secre
tary has been obtained which has
so rudely destroyed their hopes ana
well-conceived plans. Then follow
in rapid succession conferences
with the representatives of the
commission on the budget, the re-
classification of employees, both
| . L., s,,4 TO
A member of the Civil Service COM
mission explains why certain eu-
ployees have not been furnished
upon request and why certain other
transfers have not been made
There seems to be a lull, and Clunn,
with notebook in hand, starts to
take dictation even before he has
had time to seat himself at the
table.
Letters Are Answered
In rapid sentences letters are
answered and memoranda given as
there is but little time for this kind
OF work during the day. Even the
most pressing business is not fin
ished when the chief of the bureau
of mines, who has returned after
Wdlll0B IIlOSI OL tue llOIHllH, re-
quests moment of time. The die
tation Is interrupted until this busi-
ness can be finished, but before 1t
has been completed TIE leader Of
the house of representatives has
appeared and other matters must
give way before him. Legislation
vital to the activities of the depart
ment and to the welfare of the
} great west is up or action before
! the congress. Expenditures are i'm
! peratiye and 1t must be determined
to what extent the hard rule OF
economy which this congress has
adopted, must be relaxed in order
, to provide for the most pressing
} necessities. The secretary naturally
fights for his bureaus, and his de-
I partment, the house leader conced-
J ing point after point only when
} compelled to do so by the disclosure
} of an absolute necessity. This long
, discussion is interrupted by the an.
| nouncement that the personal aide
of the president desires to deliver
. 10 90 I1a