Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-12

With Mr.. Hoover, the recommended
must stand ready to be real sponsor
for the character and ability of the
candidate to fill the job and fill it we'll.
This idea OF making what Is called
political patronage a public matter. and
not a secret political arrangement, is
startling to many old-time politicians.
To Mr.. Hoover it is apparently Just
matter Of efficiency. The President has
so much to do that he must trust a
great deal of it to others. Why not
state plainly whom he entrusts with
certain task. especially If that task be
the choice of a public official
The Hoover policy of requiring the
Republicans in the South to set up
committees which shall pass on appfi-
cants for Federal positions, and make
recommendations to the President, is
part of this same efficiency system.
It has been a little difficult for the
party leaders, aided by the Hoover
Democrats of the States, to put it into
effect, but they are coming to it. Some
odd incidents crop up, like the Georgia
case. where two patronage committees
set themselves up, and the Postmaster
General had to choose between them.
In New York State the President has
recognized what amounts to patron
age committee, and in other States the
relative responsibility of national COM
mitteemen, Senators and others Is be-
coming quite clearly defined.
Takes on More Duties.
The first evidence of the welding of
a big stick in the matter of appoint
ments and the duties of public officials
to make good Is the recent removal
by the President Of United States dis
trict attorney in the Eastern New York
district. The attorney, William A. De
Groot. had been asked by the Attorney
General to resign back in the Coolidge
regime. He had declined and asked
for a further hearing as to the merits
of his conduct of his Office. Attorney
General Mitchell advised the President
that no further hearing was necessary.
and the order of removal was signed
without delay Mr.. De Groot probably
anticipated some delay, in the interest
Of political harmony. Efficiency was
the watchword, however.
One of the important accusations
against the ousted district attorney was
that he did not prosecute prohioition
cases in which political influence was
involved. In the Hoover program OF
law enforcement. efficiency and not In
fluence is the proposed program.
Why should Mr.. Hoover work longer
hours, keep more secretaries busy, and
apparently do so much more work than
did Mr. Coolidge, who seems to have
conducted the Office to general public
satisfaction?
The answer is that Mr.. Hoover is at
tempting to do a good many things
which Mr. Coolidge did not attempt to
do. His idea of the presidential office
is different. Mr.. Coolidge treated it in
the traditional way, the legal way, as
place of leadership in policy OF execu-
tive operations. In his economy plan
he insisted that no department exceed
its appropriation, and urged saving.
Mr. Hoover is likely to look more closely
at what is done with the appropriation,
and how more can be done. He is likely
to inquire whether the whole purpose OF
the appropriation cannot be filled out
of another appropriation, by another de-
partment or bureau. Mr.. Coolidge was
President Of the great business institu-
ton which is the Government of the
United States. Mr.. Hoover Is President
and general manager.
One of his new secretaries has for
part of his job putting pep and punch
into the so-called independent offices,
the governmental bureaus which come
directly under the President, without
reporting to any cabinet officer. Mr..
Hoover proposes to direct these In q
sense that they have not hitherto had
direction from the White House. His
regime Is likely to destroy some fairly
easy jobs which have existed in Wash
ington, by making them busy jobs, or
doing away with them. The help. around
the place is expected to be somewhere
uear as busy and efficient as the boss.