The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-03-11

the most battered member of the cabinet, though his unequivocal comeback at Huey Long has partly restored his badly pluck ed plummage.
 Jim has kept off the political firing line as far as possible and is trying to rebuild the efficiency of his post office department. which suffered sadly during his pcregrinations about the cOun- try. He has adopted the cue of lying low and saying little.
 However, he is still besieged by jobholders and it is doubtful whether anyone who is both postmaster general and national committeeman can long be low.
 CLAUDE AUGUST SWAN SON Is no more secretary of the navy than Dern is secretary of war. Not only is he in the hands of his admirals, but also he is in the hands of the president.
 Roosevelt, for eight years as- sistant secretary of the navy, cannot resist pOlxing his fingers continually into his old depart- ment.
 Swanson is heart and soul big Navy man, but probably if he had had his. hand on things he would not have permitted collision in the award of cruis- CT contracts. He has been thor oughly worried by the disclosures of the senate munitions commit tee.
 HAROLD E. ICKES, secretary of the interior. continues to be the hardest working and most uncompromising member of the cabinet. Despite the abuse heap ed upon his head in recent months, he maintains a gorgeous sense of humor and just as much eagerness for scrap.
 His tracks have been less de- viating toward New Deal goals than that of any other cabinet officer.
 DANIEL CALHOUN ROPER, is secretary of commerce in name. and. without John Dickin- son, assistant secretary, his de- partment would be completely stymied.
 He is fond of talking about the birds, the flowers, the trees. morality anything except the subject at hand. An ardent pro- hibitionist, Roper now fumbles at cocktail. although. no one can be quite sure whether any of it passes down his gullet.
 HENRY WALLACE. one of the most idealistic New Dealers, is not a happy man. He has parked some of his ideals on the shelf and has decided to go along on a course of political expedi- ency.
 For all practical purposes. Chester Davis. administrator of the AAA. is now secretary of agriculture. Wallace is loved for his charm, his naivete,f his sim- pleness of manner. his idealism, but he has lost some of the re- spect he once commanded.
 FRANCES PERKINS, secre- tary of labor. is one of the harest- working members of the official family. but also one of the most unhappy. She has done a good job in the social phases of her work -child and female labor. labor statistics. unem- ployment exchange, etc.. but she has been boxed" on the most important work of all labor conciliation.
 In this field first General Johnson. then Donald Richberg, and to q certain extent Francis Riddle have completely thwarted her.
 EDITORS NOTE: The unpre- cedented personal pickering be- tween cabinet members under the New Deal will be discussed by the Merry-Go-Round in the near ffuture.)
 MAIL BAG
 R. McJ., Ithaca, N. Y.: The senate recesses at the end of a day if its business in hand is not completed: then the next days session resumes at that point. The senate adjourns when 1t has completed the business in hand. Next day it returns to "the cal endar." II. G., Clarkesdale, Miss: Senator Huey P. Long does not carry a gun, and there is no record of his ever having engaged in a gun fight. .. H. 1T. Y.. Elizabeth. N. J.: The so-called "baby bands" are being offered in five denominations $25, $50, $1O0. $500 and $1.000. You can purchase them through your post office. .,. R. IT,, Philadelphia. Pa: Official statis- tics place the percentage of gov ernment employees under civil service at present at around TO per cent. Tn March. 1asa. the