Evening star., 1936-05-23
Continued From Page BID

'SbIillllutu luill dSC AO-Af
be remembered with word OF greet
ing. Or a son whose doings in the
world need comment.
Constituents write their Repre-
tatives in Congress on every conceiv-
able subject. They want a job-but
that needs fuller attention later on
they need advice on rearing the new
baby, on planting the garden. They
are in need of a small loan or letter
of introduction. Again they may de-
sire an expression of opinion on this
or that matter of importance to the
country. They ask for help in OBJ
tanning pension or preparing paper
to be read before the next club meet
ing
All these requests the secretary
must meet with Just the right shade
of courtesy. Too much politeness in
refusing a loan may bring a second
request for a smaller amount. Too
emphatic a statement of the boss
opinions on any matter may raise
merry ned with the home folks who
disagree on the subject. The letter,
the secretary must remember, will
be shown around 1t is not written
for one pair of eyes but for many.
It may even get in the home town
paper.
Sometimes it is a smart trick. when
the secretary suspects the letter is
for publication, to give the reply to
the newspaper boys first. 1t removes
a bit of the sting from publication
and indicates the member is frank
and aboveboard.
A reply by wire has the advantage
that it can be brief. But the secretary
ha to remember that every telegram
sent out under a congressional frank
is carefully scrutinized by the Com
mittee on Accounts and it may bounce
back with a bill. Which recalls the
sorry plight in which one inexperi-
enced secretary found himself when
a batch of franked Christmas greet
ings came back on the boss with
bill for $500.
THE New Deal brought an ava
lanche of mail down on the heads
of Congress but it also brought
host of job seekers such as never be-
fore have been seen on the Hill. In
the old days when Bill Jones of back
home decided his son or daughter
might like a year or so working In
Washington he wrote his Representa-
tive or Senator and the matter was
as good as settled. Veteran secretaries
recall the old days with wistful re-
gret. These past few years have been
SO different.
Now they complain their Offices are
little less than employment agencies.
Members are expected to transplant
their district en- masse to Washington.
They must find jobs not only for Bill
Jones bright boy or girl. but the whole
family. And frequently old Bill him.
self, finding farming or the insurance
business not what it once was, decides
he, too, would like job in Wash
ington.
Finding jobs for Bill and his tribe
has become a science. 1t takes foot
work and brains to make a success
of it. And even when a secretary
sits back and congratulates himself
he hasn't done so badly he is likely
to wake up and find Bills cousins,
aunts and in-laws hammering at his
door. Success in locating one job
means a dozen additional requests,
Saws the constituent:
We'll, you got Bills boy that good
job In P. w. A. Why can't you do it
for me?"
Some Of the members give a letter
of indosement to every one who asks.
The majority of the offices, however,
insist the applicant for letter of in
dorsement have letters from his
district leader back home, letters
that certify that Bill Jones has voted
right and that his family before him
have been on the popular-at the