Evening star., 1924-09-21
Real Workers in the National Capital

r 7 AVE you ever stopped to
IL think of what becomes OF
Uncle Sans messenger boys?
4 i For example, some IL years
ago there were two young
chaps thus employed by the Depart
| ment of Agriculture. They were
bright, merry-and mischievous-
youngsters, about Is years of age, al
was ready to do a favor to any one,
and they did what thev were directed
to do with the inspiring thought
that in their humble way they were
helping to keep the wheels of gov
| ernment running. and helping, through
the farmers, whose interests tney
served, to feed the world.
One of these boys. Floyd X. Har-
| rison, is now assistant to the manas-
! ing director of the War Finance Cor
| poration; the other. W. A. jump, Is
| administrative assistant and budget
| officer for the Department of Asricul-
ture. 1t is about the latter that this
article is Icing written. Not bad
| achievement, is it, for an Office boy
to climb through the grades by work
/ we'll done to the highest position in
great administrative department of
government-second only to a cab
| met member, selected by the Presi-
| dent himself. and who, in fact, by
! his efficient business management or
| the thousand and one details of the
department, makes II possible for the
| Secretary of Agriculture to devote his
| time to policies and program?
Didn't Have Any "Puli."
Jump came to the department when
| he was Is, and has been doing his
| best for the department for Il years.
He is conspicuous refutation of the
| complaint frequently heard that you
| can't get anywhere in the govern
! ment service on merit-you've got to
| have pull" II has been push
| rather than pull" that opened the
doors of advancement to Jump. He
J had no political influence to get him
| his job, none to hold it, and meme to
| get him where he is today.
He was first d messenger boy in tbs
! Bureau of Animal Industry at $3.50 q
year. Then he was in the Bureau OF
| Markets when Charles J. Brand. now
! consulting specialist in marketing to
| the Secretary, was head of the bu-
| reau. Next jump was in the publica-
! tions branch, and called into the ad-
! ministrative office when Secretary
| Wallace took charge.
His work now is chiefly as the
! principal administrative assistant to
the Secretary and budget officer.
in which latter capacity he is the
contact of the department with he
Bureau of the Budget. He has charS..
of the preparation of estimates rep
resents the department in hearings
before the Budget Bureau and later
spends a month or more with the
House and Senate appropriations
committees when the agricultural ap-
preparation bill is being whipped into
shape.
sort Of Business Manager.
H.. icpht he hn hI,s
manager Of the department. Every
one who wants to know anything
q bout the operation of the depart
| ment goes to Mr.. Jump 10 learn what
is the attitude of the Secretary His
job is to reflect the Secretary's policy
and opinion to the administrative Off
GERS Of the department In so doing
he relieves the Secretary of the rou-
tine and details. which are promptly
and properly DISPOSED of without
causing the Secretary any worry or
concern.
In this job Mr.. Jump is working
every day on matters that touch and
concern practically every industry
and every home in the country.
we'll as those directly interested in
the great basic industry Of producing
the Nations food.
To get some line on the scope of
Mr.. Jumps work just consider tlal
the Department of Agriculture now
spends or administers the expenditure
of more than s150.o00.000 a year. All
Of this should not be charged to Tho
department b. any means, however.
as nearly s100,000,0O0 represents Fed
eral aid to the States in the building
Of highways and in the construction
of roads and trails in and adjacent
to the national forests. About ST.
100000 more goes to the States for
agricultural extension work and for