Evening star., 1925-09-16
CIVIL SERVICE POST
WORRIES COOLIDGE
Candidates for Place Held by
Mrs. Gardener Meet
With Opposition.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.

1t Is believed, in political circles
here that President Coolidge may re-
gret having publicly announced that
he preferred to name a woman to
succeed the late Mrs. Helen Gardener
as member of the United States
Civil Service Commission. Trouble Is
brewing in the matter of aspiratio
on the part of number of women,
and it is expected by one of the Presi
dents close associates that this storm
will not subside until he has finally
announced his decfsfon.
1t became known today that the
President had narrowed the list of
candidates down to less than half a
dozen names, and since then there
have been received at the White House
a number of protests against one or
more Of these on the so-called pre-
ferred list.
The law makes 1t necessary to have
not more than two of any one politi-
cal party on this commission at the
same time. The two present commits
sioners. William c. Deming Of Wyo-
ming and George r. Wales of Yer.
mont, are both Republicans, and it
is necessary for the President to ap-
point Democrat to succeed Mrs.
Gardener.
Miss Smith Opposed.
Miss Ethel NJ. Smith, head of the
Woman's Trade Union League, who is
we'll known in Washington, having
taken a prominent part in obtaining
legislation providing a minimum wage
for women, is understood to occupy a
prominent place on the preferred list,
and since this fact has become known
-
by the White House to see if her ap-
pointment would meet with general
approval. principally by the Fedora
ton Of Women's Clubs and the Ma
tional League of Women Voters, the
White House has received a number
of protests against her selection. 1t
was learned at the White House TODAY
that these protests are not confined to
any one organization or to repre-.
sentatives Of any one political party
Mrs. Virginia White Speel, presi-
dent of the League of Republican
Women of the District, called at the
White House today to lodge COM
plants or protests against the selec-
ton of Miss Smith. Mrs. Speel said
afterward that she called attention
to activities of Miss Smith in work
ing up congressional black list" for
the use of the American Federation of
Labor in the 1920 campaign, and also
her activities in connection with a
number Of radical" movements, both
in Washington and outside.
Miss Dell Urged.
Mrs. Speel said that Miss Smiths
appointment would be most unfor-
tunate, and while she was at the
White House she indorsed Miss Jessie
Dell Of Georgia for the post. Miss
Dell is now chief of a division in
the Civil Service Commission and Is
represented as being especially well
qualified for the vacant position on
the commission. She is supported
by Brig. Gen. H. M. Lord, director
Of the budget; Senators Smoot Of
Utah and McKellar of Tennessee and
others, but Miss Dell. too, is coming
in for her share Of opposition. The
White House already has received
protests, principally from Democratic
women, who oppose her selection be-
cause Of her activities with the Ma
tional Woman's Party during the
picketing of the White House in 1917.
Some Of the women who have been
mentioned in connection with this
high appointment are Mrs. Medill Nc
Cormick of Illinois, wife of the late
Senator of that State and daughter
Of late Senator Mark Hanna, and Mrs
Minnie Fisher Cunningham of Texas.
The President has not made up his
mind, and it Is not expected that he
will make a decision at a very early
date. He conferred late yesterday
afternoon with Commissioners Dem
ing and Wales, when he's understood
to have sought their opinion upon the
qualifications OF those names he has
placed upon the preferred list.