Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-04
HOOVER is EXPERIENCED
In PRESIDENTIAL DUTIES
Familiarity With Last Three Administra-
tons Gives Insight Into Govern
mental Operations.

messages on the state of the Nation
that he must send to Congress from
time to time, the notes of greeting and
condolences to personal friends and
men and women of national lsoml.
nence In this country and to rulers in
foreign countries.
Patronage Handling Perplexing.
But probably the most trying and
most perplexing part of the Presidents
job is handling patronage. Selection
Of his cabinet. preparatory to assuming
office, might have seemed huge task,
but he will not have had but a few
months experience with the handing
out of lesser important Government po-
sitions at his disposal without looking
back upon the cabinet picking relatively
as child's play He will be called upon
to make more than 10000 appointments
to the Federal service each year. These
are for the most part postmasters,
United States marshals. United States
attorneys, officers Of the foreign serv-
commissions and heads OF independent
bureaus. as well as officers Of the Army,
Navy and Marine services and members
Of the judiciary
It has been the custom of Presidents
to divide the patronage as equally as
possible within the ranks of his own
party and among the States and at
the same time to appoint the best quail
flied men and women to Office. The
pressure of politics and inability on the
part Of the President to give his per-
sonal attention to the selection Of all
those whose commissions he must sign
has made this somewhat difficult.
In the mater of distributing patron
aOa ono roranf procidonf altar ear,a
disheartening experiences with ap-
pointments, remarked that he had
found that with virtually every ap-
pointment he made score or more Of
enemies.
Considerable of President Hooyer's
time during his first month in Office
will be taken up in disposing of job
hunters and in making appointments
to the major positions in the executive
departments.
Prominent among the other kinds OF
work cut out for the Executive Is the
| preparation of the budget. To impress
| upon the departmental heads the ne
cessity to keep within the budget pre-
scribed by him, the President must re-
| sort to rather harsh tactics. Somewhat
the same insistence must be shown to
keep Congress from reckless appropria-
ton OF money not provided for In the
budget.
Besides the daily horde of business
callers and seekers Of patronage or other
presidential favors, the President must
receive daily many personal callers and
others who merely want to shake hands
and wish him well as they pass through
his office. Receiving the latter class Is
something of an innovation. President
| Coolidge has averaged more than a
hundred day. On occasions more
than a thousand "handshakers" were
received by him.
White House Duties.
Aside from such duties and demands
upon his time and patience during his
long hours at the executive ONCE. there
are the duties to be performed within
the White House itself. The President
must officiate at a prescribed number of
state functions as well as receptions.
the most notable of which Is the New
Year reception. There are dinner par
ties to be given, musicales and ether
entertainments, as we'll as the formal
reception of newly arrived foreign dip
| lomats and representatives of foreign
| governments.
Enumeration Of these high spots In
| the daily work of a President clearly
establishes the fact that President, no
matter how early he arises and how
rapidly he works, has only very lin
tied time to call his own-to spend as
he chooses. His annual salary Is
SIS 900, plus 5000 annual allowance
for travelling and entertainment, but the
President of the United States earns
every dollar he Is paid.