Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-13
rvice Wins Where Politics Fails in Many u S. Posts

TO $1,000. Robert NJ. Williams. the
solicitor of the department, just
quarter of a century In service, won
promotion from 5000 to $4,000. Lloyd
s. Tenny, chief of the Bureau OF Agri-
cultural Economics. started at $3.50.
% years ago, and is now receiving
Sc. 500.
The recent oil leasing cases, dragged
through the mire Of senatorial tnveSti-
CATION and court trial. made conspic-
uous q political favorite. q former
Senator and former Secretary of the
Interior. But no hint OF suspicion or
breath Of scandal was directed at Ed
ward G. Finney. first assistant secre-
tary Of the Interior Department. star
witness for the Government I'm these
cases. Through close devotion to his
duties. Mr.. Finney climbed up from
the lowest grade in the Classified Civil
Service. from 5000 to $500. He has
given the people 30 years OF honest
work. His fidelity and efficiency were
rewarded under both Democratic
and Republican administrations. He
started In fling papers. did typewrit
ing, wrote land patents. examined
land claims. acted as law clerk and
attorney, ana is now I'm charge Of
Uncle Sans great natural parks.
reclamation projects, our natural re
sources. He is in direct supervision
OF some $500 employees on public
works affecting every State In the
Union-and he got the appointment
for the good of tho service"
The Interior Department boasts OF
other upward climbers. The Governor
| of Alaska, George A. Parks, entered
| the General Land Office in 1909 as a
practical miner at an annual salary
| OF $3.50. He now receives $1,000.
| That's not a bad showing for 10
I years. George Otis Smith. director OF
/ the Geological SURVEY, started at
~ 900 and now gets $1,000. Thomas
c. Havell entered IS years ago at $500
and Is now receiving s., 200 as assist
ant commissioner of the General Land
Office.
From stenogra pher at 5000 only
Is years ago to Third Assistant Post
| master General with a salary of 81. 500
| Is the record OF another Government
employe who has made good-Robert
8. Regar. Not far behind him il
| Horace j. Donnelly, the solicitor of
the Post Office Department, receiving
| $4,000, Who started at $500 only %
years ago. Joseph Stewart, executive
assistant TO the Postmaster General
SO years In Federal harness. has pro.
crossed from 81 900 year TO $500.
| =
ME have had our. famous Mellon
plans" and estimates by Treasury
Department officials and congressional
leaders as to how much any tariff
proposals viii raise in revenue and
how much can be paid out OF a pros
pective surplus on the national debt
all the intricacies OF actuarial prophe-
cles. These are all promulgated by
Hnfc ly 4
hold office by political prestige. But
the figuring is actually done by Joseph
S. Mccoy. the Government actuary,
who has been on the job for 40 years,
and any time during the last 80 years
could have had much higher pay from
private industry than Uncle Sam is
giving him. He started at 81 900 and
is now getting $4,000. He got his Job
through competitive civil service ex-
animation and without any influence
He held il because he wore well and
has become indispensable to the
| Treasury Department and to Con-
gress.
Here Is another Treasury Depart
ment Observation-Disclosures c.. Hand,
who rs years ago received $500 year,
and now, as commissioner of accounts
and deposits, receives $1,000.
In the Department of Justice we
find John Edgar Hoover. special as
sistant to the Attorney General and
director of the Bureau of Investiga.
tion-William j. Burns old job. Four
teen years ago he was a messenger In
the Library of Congress. and after he
studied law nights he entered the De-
partment of Justice 10 years ago as a.
Junior file clerk, at a salary of $500
He now gets $1,000 having climbed
up to the head of a bureau that has
an annual appropriation of 2,000, 900
and a personnel of 500. He has gen
eral charge of the investigation of al
legged offenses against the laws of the
| United States Except counterfeiting
and prohibition He directs also the
work of the special agents employed
| in detecting crimes and collecting evil
dence for use in proposed or pending
suits or prosecutions.
Another Department of Justice man
who has earned remarkable promotion
is Robert J. Mawhinny, solicitor for
the Treasury, who advanced from
81 900 to $1,000 and has record of
A years service.
The Navy Department. too. supplies
too many illustrations of we'll deserved
recognition to be even mentioned here.
| Frank s. Curtis. the chief clerk, start
ed in at SEQ and now receives IS, 400,
after 80 years of dependable work.
Clyde Reed, special assistant to the
Continued on Fifth Page.)