Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-18
NEWTON REPORTS FOR DUTIES
AS NEWEST HOOVER SECRETARY
Experience as Legislator to
Be Invaluable Aid to
President.
Brings GeniaIity and Cana
raderie Into Official
Circles.
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

President HooVers new secretar"
Representative Newton of Minnesota
whose appointment was announced a
! the White House on Friday. prompts
| reported for duty Saturday. His re-
| taxation, vacation and recreation con
| sists in going from one kind of WORT
| to another.
In selecting Mr.. Newton. Presiden
! Hoover and the country will benef
| through greater efficiency" which il
! to be the keynote of the Hoover ad
ministration to match up with The
economy" watchword of the Coolidge
administration.
Mr. Hoover knew Walter Newton and
MS advisers knew Walter Newton. in the
best way to judge man. through what
he has done and the way he goes about
doing it.
He will bring a geniality and camera
ierie into White House relations. eSpe-
cially with the members of Congress
and the officials Of the score or more
Of independent establishments that are
just outside of the cabinet.
Completes Secretorial Corps.
The appointment of Mr.. Newton COM
pletes the set-up of three secretaries
for the President allowed by Congress
in making the appropriations for the
support of Government activities. This
is Mr.. HoOverS first step i'll reorganiza-
ton of the executive branch.
Walter Newton is to be admmistra-
tive assistant to the President regard
ing the various independent establish
ments that have no cabinet head, but
are directly responsible to the President
He is to be the Presidents contact man
with Congress so that members of Con-
gress may have direct and ready APP
proach to the President, and will in
this way facilitate closer cooperation
in matters of legislation. He is also to
undertake for the President certain
special tasks, the first of which is to
work with members of the cabinet III
the study and development of a plan
for reorganization of the administra-
tive branch of the Government,
Thus having reorganized the work OF
the White House on an efficiency basis,
the President has at the same time,
through Secretary Newton, headed up
and given a start to the reorganization
program.
Problems Are Intricate.
The reorganization problem is in
tricate, with many conflicting interests
and possibility Of administrative Jeal-
ousies The plan of legislative pro-
cedure must be carefully considered,
Having served for four years on the
Republican committee on committees in
the House, he knows the House mem
bers intimately and their qualifications.
AS a member of the Republican steer
ing committee for the past four years
he already is in closest possible touch
1x.if <.f
has their confidence.
In this way he is fitted to be an in
valuable key man for President Hoover
in his policy of working closely with
Congress not only on the reorganization
job, but on all great national problems.
Secretary Newton has the confidence
of the President. He has the conf
dence of Congress. He should be emil
nently successful in the efficiency
mission of having them know and un-
derstand each others viewpoint.
Mr.. Newton had planned to remain
in Congress and was in no sense a cam
didate for any Office i'll the new ad-
ministration. The President preached
the offer to him about two weeks ago.
Takes Secretary TO White House.
Mr.. Newton will take to the White
House with him his private secretary,
Mrs. Marie H. Hunter, the widow of
the former managing editor of the
Minneapolis Tribune. Mrs. Hunter has
been his loyal co-worker since he has
been in Congress
Mr.. Newton started his political career
when he was not yet IL by marching
with his father in the Benjamin Harri-
son parade in 1892.
The first campaign in which he took
an interest other than in marching
clubs and torchlight bearer was in the
Roosevelt campaign in 1904 He has
always been a great admirer of Theo-
dore Roosevelt. He served his first
practical experience in politics in 1906
as a precinct worker. In 1908 he was
secretary of the Taft Club of Minneap-