Evening star., 1924-10-12
Capital Sidelights

u,
now hard at 1t to cram down the
bullying estimates for expenditures
within the moneys that can be raised
Dy Uncle Sam to pay the bills, tells
this terse story:
TWO gentlemen met at a social
function. One said to the other:
Having a dull time, aren't your"
Yes, was the response, its very
tiresome. Let's get out" you can"
said the former; l can't, Pm the
host"
AS is usually the case when Cen
Lord tells a story there is kick
back of 1t. He used this story to
emphasize his appreciation of the
able personnel employed by the
United States Government He re-
ferred TO the time when the armi-
stice was signed. when the drums
ceased beating and the shouting died
away, and the "dollar-a-year men,"
who held the center Of the stage in
Washington, had hiked back to their
normal pursuits land left the regu-
lar personnel of the Government to
clean up the mess" as Gen. Lord
eXpress1Vely describes the situation
Here is his tribute to the regular
personnel:
THE regular unrecognized, sub
merged, inadequately paid Federal
employe remained on the job and is
still cleaning up the mess, and clean
ing it up efficiently and we'll De-
spite the handicap of restrictive laws,
wise and necessary as safeguards,
but not lending themselves readily
to usual commercial practices-de-
spite other handicaps-there Is being
put into Federal operation today the
principles of good business
we can show to representatives of
outside business Government agen-
cles engaged on work OF the great
est Importance, magnitude and cost,
which are functioning in way that
defies criticism and may well serve
as models to similar activities in the
commercial world.
And let it be borne in mind" saws
Gen. Lord, that the Federal Gov
ernment is carrying on projects that
surpass in magnitude, Importance and
difficulty Of accomplishment anything
carried on by any one else, anywhere,
at any time"
Faced with the necessity for bal
ancing the budget while various
Government agencies justified their
expenditure of the full amount ap-
propriated on the plea that they had
Instituted more efficient methods, and
while they could promise no reduc-
ton in spending they could guaran-
tee a larger return for the outlay
Gen. Lord says he has a fellow
feeling for the man who left three
pounds of meat and the family cat
in the kitchen
Returning thereto shortly after
ward, he found nothing but the cat,
looking innocent but unduly dis
tended. He put the cat on the scales
which registered just three pounds.
There's the meat, all right" said he,
but where's the cat?"
Government department in Washing
ton the consumption of towels, soap
and broomS and other cleaning ma
terlalS was so extraordinary as to at
tract Gen. Lords particular attention
The annual cost of supplies of this
character Indicated that this particu-
lar bureau must be the most imma-
culate organization in the world. and
entitled to preferred position in Spot
less Town.
Investigation disclosed loss or theft
of towels by the hundred while more
than 500 soilcd towels were discov-
cred tucked away in desks. file cases
and closets. The simple and obvious
requirement that an employe turn
in a soiled towel in order to secure
clean one was imme ediately put in
effect.
In this same bureau there was
great consumption of soap. Five bar
rcls of Government soap was located
in the home of one of the bureau en-
ployes and three barrels in the home
of another. These Industrious soap
collectors are no longer in the Fed
eral service.
Gen. Lord also tells how an enter
prising Government employe was dis
covered with such an elastic con-
science that he made from Govern
ment rubber bands a 10-pound ball as
a plaything for his dog. He now
has ample time for playing with the
ball himself" comments the general
+ X
The other day a Senator asked
Secretary Doyle of the Civil Service
Commission when the Government
personnel was going to be reduced to
pre-war numbers and he got the terse
reply--"Never." Then came the gentle
explanation that we haven't the same
size country or Federal Government
as before the war. In the last 10
years we have grown--in govern
ulentdi activities wen as III VI Od
ton. consumption and what not.
A survey has been made of the
future needs of the Government for
office space to determine its normal
progressive requirements for period
not to exceed 10 years. The Post
Office Department, for example. as
result of careful study, reports that In
10 years it will need Al per cent more
office space than it occupies at the
present time.
Then the reverse of this admin
strative procedure perplexeS him.
Occasionally Gen. Lord is sorely
tempted to reply to insistent demands
for more funds with the tale of the
coIored brother in the revival meet
ing whose loud and repeated demand
20 Lord, give US mo- power, was
answered by more experienced
brother, who said: What you need,
brother, is not mo- power, but mo-
ideas" Some of the Government
establishments have needed not more
money but more and better admin
istration, he says.
Representative Guy U. Hardy of
Colorado. who is practically known
to residents of the National Capital
because he was one OF lne SpeCidi
Joint committee which investigate ted
the fiscal relations between the Fed
eral and District governments, is
stanch prohibition leader.
Representative Hardy points out
that THE eighteenth amendment to
the Constitution (prohibition) was
adopted before the nineteenth (woman
suffrage)." He emphasizes that 1.-The
men voted the country dry; surely
the woman voters will help to keep
it dry
He calls attention that before ma
tional prohi bition was enacted 80