Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-05
BY BEN McKELWAY.

YEAl u. r.. MCAaTl, NOulIctltl
w s s:::s: ::: s <, a:es. u2 : !:
good press agent - maybe
not a press agent, but what
the aStu,e gentlemen Of that profeS-
sion are pleased 10 call a counsel on
public relations"
Every press agent knows and sings
TIE story of the great railroad that
was suffering in its relations With the
public because OF an epidemic OF
wrecks An earnest young man pre-
scented himself and said he was avail
able for hire After some rnisgivlng on
the part Of the railroad. he was placed
II charge o: public relations. There
after. when the railroad held a wreck.
the Young man was on the scene. iced
Ing reporters cigars and information
relative 10 the interesting process by
which the railroad clears its tracks
after holding wreck.
Instead of saying. Thirty more in
nocent men. women and children were
slain II q crash on the y. \: L. last
night" the newspapers would report
that although the tracks were torn
I'D for zoo yards. due 10 an accident
last night on the Y. y. z. heroic work
on the part OF the repair crews en-
able6 the railroad 10 serve the pubic
OF regular schedule. 10 hours after the
occurrence. The wreck was blamed on
the engineer. who was killed. Thirty
passengers. il is understood. are dead.
Psychology Suggested.
Mr.. McCarl might apply the same
psychology. IL other words, temper the
wind 20 the lambs that he shears by
lew bright kind words. eXpertly strung
together by some one who knows his
public. But he won't. The little an
nouncements from the General Ac-
counting Once which cause so much
pain 10 Government employees and
Others might be worde6. for instance:
The Controller General regretfully an
nounced today that Congress has so
framed its laws on the subject as to
force him TO deny payment f1E one car
token and a ham sandwich 80 the esti-
mable Ny. John Doe, a Government
feartully bad day. hao TO go to
the Capitol. Mr.. Mc'Srl feels
the matter deeply and slept Itfully last
night. He believes that Mr.. Doe should
have had the car token and the ham
sandwich. but his strict accountability
TO an unfeeling Congress makes him
decide. against his will. that Mr.. Doe
should have walked and that he had no
right 10 eat
Instead of this. however. Mr. McCarl
writes. The claim is disalloweo, and
lets II go al that.
In consequence, the picture OF Mr.
AcCarl in the minds Of the PUBLIC
after he has been in Office for 6i2 years
or his I5-year term, is not so gooc
Re Is alluded 70 as car. shylock.
O penny-squeezer and hair~spiitter
Ee is known as one who defIes not only
the Attorney General Of the United
States. but the other cabinet members
as well. He is reputed TO be willing
TO spend a hundred dollars IN the pur-
suit OF a nickel. so long as there Is a
,,rinciple involved Instead Of being
content with the authority given MIN
CIV Congress. he is doing his best 70
enlarge the powers he has. Instead oil
merely auditing what the Government
spends. he wants 10 audit every ex-
penditure in advance. Instead O!
auditing the collection Of money. he
wants 70 investigate the collection OF
money. and If he disagrees with tnt
Secretary of the Treasury as TO whether
a bale of imported goods should nt
taxed as cotton or as silk, he wants MS
opinion 20 prevail
Decides on Expenditures.
He is not only detective who in
res;igates the expenditure OF money
but o Judge Who decides wnetner !!
should have been spent. He is bill
collector Is well as a credit manager
while il is written that the lettel
ksue,h but the spirit giyeth life. th'
Controller General reads oniy the lettel
q the Law and lets the spirit go hang
Naturally. such a job is hard boiled
Soo and the incumbent VIII not ID
found among the winners Or runner
IN In contests 10 determine VINO rs Oh
most popular Government emp!oye II
washington today.
~. while the Office he holds is Z
Tsy6-boiled Once. the Controller Gen
ersl is not such l5-ninute egg a
some woulc MAKE him out 70 be. h
never raises mis- voice 10 below and n
Is inclined 70 be rather sersiuVe. III
is unaksuning and nights shy Of pup
3icity. never allowing himself 10 %
quoted IN an interview since one eE
peEience when he made an agreemen
gf.h an interviewer that ne w0uldn'
he quoted and ne was. He ls q mare
WORKER anc shuts hln1sel. OF from IN
rest 0. the world 81 an ONCE that
amply guzEdec by assistants who's
sl1esn L. They Shall Rot Pass
HIS cesk Is always laden With papers
eZcepi for cleared space N front
b,m which he keepS !eligiouSly cleaa
The late Mr. Munbey, tn visiting NJ
numerous neyspS pe!s. used ~ tFankn
trl2hterec young reporter ~!tn an ic
stare and declare young man & cas
ordered cesk Is the sign n a ci@oToere
Yosrlc /" ]. he was right, M AcCari
rqinc Is quite 0ceTiy.
Posted on Business.
Cre MY reach NF. NcCar n n
Lsis3ness il important. He AN ~ I'm
uresaec yath his cleaY-cJ, kno%lec2e q
ne tg4s.rles2 IN hanc and u nls Fapid
- y4,n Shlcsa ilf clDcDEa<ck aHc clSIF'st
~ n Els ~orc& TOW freely ano Snappli'
~ 1nc Ofsce re geJs started nf siDN
70 inclination ~ IL, up unl! nF
through rpWing Windsor 'le. %hh'
ne aiS1yk wears. Ylsek MN uiE SehAH
ar .! e4g4n'Yy ia WtFr III new con
prearsnsa Th9se VINO know MIN DFf
Say MT Rneg III naakes Il dec3AlofA 81
y sure tnzt ~ Is right, he IePf
aysfefs sbyJf ne criticism Bur wnt
se L. not quite sure h" ones wary oFt
f3.e .ar' nat ilr may nave injured @'fh
fisP.
IN fn.A Ks Hccsf! dDes not f.ffe
fry,u o,t.frS vflG nave ~ tnskc decision
,.t.4 scf y he OBSERVES ~ paFtlciIIa
.~@d.t. b. he il different 10 that II
g.sger pgts his s4de " ne front and
l.yu,5ling " enter into any conlIDyeEs
" fAcLE hjnsel! His decisions ~
f04ct.sc ~ u4e terms 81 t9As lhS al
taey ere 6eyoid either q! human III
rest ~ words ~ spJiOgy he tla
ne Iss on hlE SIDE. but t4e never p1l
sg.s Alane tor the law where 1t GeiDDg
.sn the legislature wf3lcD MAKES ]
When iae cut IN the Government pi'
tance " MANY employes injured III u.
service ~ " their Survivors, ny T'lIiN
that uil6er TIE law ule Empl0yes Con
lIeg4bailon Commission had ~ TiRnt !
yay them Ee clo not say 81 l4e magf
rave tnAl IL was q downright sbbH
snc hs ilaU1 ~ 10 j. D1i Congress ss
&ss. &Eg4