Evening star., 1925-02-15
AGRICULTURE POST
WAS SOUGHT BY 1SO
CIamor for Cabinet Portfolio
Declared Unprecedented;
Hoover Aided Selection.

Few presidential appointments in
recent years have attracted wider in
tere st than the choice of the Secre-
tary of Agriculture. Those at the
White House who are in a position
to know say they cannot recall any
appointment to the Cabinet in their
time which brought out so many cam
didates.
1t is known that $50 names were
prese nted to the President during his
consideration of this post. Just why
there was such wide. mad, rush
for this place, at this time, those
close to the President cannot under
stand. The salary has not been in
creased, and the task awaiting the
new agricultural head is a heavy one.
In fact, the burdens to be assumed
by DR.. Jardine, because of the many
increased farm problems, is consid-
cred sufficient to make any one hesi-
tate before Offering his services.
Besieged by Throng.
Because of the many candidates
and the numerous Endorsements ac-
companying each. the President eX-
perienced more difficulty in arrivin
at a conclusion than he would have
had only the usual number of aspir-
ants been brought to his attention.
|
individuals and groups, the President
was required to see personally many
who presented themselves at the
White House to advocate some one
of the many aspirants. Scores of
Senator's and Representatives were
among these callers. Delegations
representing farm organlZauons'
shippers and livestock organizations,
AGRICULTURAL economists and poll
ticians were among the hundreds who
tried to influence the President IN
making his decision.
The President thought he might
check the stampede by announcing
that he had in mind a man versed in
cooperative marketing and genera
marketing rather than one who
merely laid claim to being a dirt
farmer or an agricultural economist.
This helped but little. The stream
continued. Then he offered the place
to Herbert Hoover, who, because of
his wide experience with business
and shipping, strongly appealed to
him as just the man to head the De-
partment of Agriculture. Mr.. Hoover
thanked the President for the compH
ment, but declined, saying he would
prefer to complete the work he has
started at the Department of Com
merce.
Aided BY Hoover.
However, the President drafted
Secretary Hoover to the extent OF
studying the papers accompanying
the many applications and to make
a digest Of the qualifications of the
candidates This was not done in q
day. 1t required considerable in
| vestigation and inquiry on the par'
of Mr.. Hoover, but when he made hi:
| report to the President about two
| weeks ago, the latter was enabled
| to narrow the list down from Its
original size to about 20.
Just what names were included II
| this preferred list may never be made
public, but it was made known at the
| White House a week later that the
President after giving further study
to the list had succeeded in pruning
! it down to less than a dozen.
| Among those besides DR.. Jardine II
the list were John Fields of Okla
| homa, Robert B. Carey, former COVER
nor of Wyoming and a member OF
the Agricultural Commission; Jacof
| Mohler of Kansas, who originally hat
| the Endorsement of the Kansas con
| gressional delegation; A. j. Weaver
| of Nebraska, who has the unanlmou!
backing of the congressional delega
| ton from tidl CtdlC, As1APA1 A'ASA
| ritt of California, member or th'
Presidents Agricultural Commission
Louis j. Tabor of Ohio, master OF thu
| National Grange; Thomas B. Camp
! bell of Montana, the most extensive
wheat grower in the country; Eugen'
Funk of Illinois, who is thought t'
have had originally the backing o
Secretary Hoover, and Representative
Dickinson of Iowa, looked upon a.
the farm bloc leader in the House.
Plan Was Changed.
| AS is his custom, the Presiden
acted deliberately in this matter. n
originally desired to make selec
| tion of an Assistant Secretary o
Agriculture, in order that he Nigh
serve in that capacity before assum
! ing the secretaryship on March 4. H
thought this experience would be o
| great benefit to the appointee, whe
he actually assumed control of tn
department. But he abandoned thi
idea, fearing he might not be able t
give the proper study to the matter
4