Evening star., 1936-05-23
Congress Secretaries

time-Side. If the applicant has
the proper credentials to get his
letter from the Congressman. But
that isn't enough. Personnel ofices
in the various departments have
grown weary of congressional letters.
The secretary must "follow-up" if he
hopes for success. Sometimes
phone call is enough, but more often
it needs repeated calls and personal
visits.
Nor is the story ended once the
applicant is employed. He wants a
raise or his chief isn't treating him
as politely as he feels he should. The
answer is another visis or series OF
them to his Congressman's Office and
more headaches for the secretary.
JOB seekers these past few years
have constituted a good two-thirds
of the visitors to congressional Offices.
but there are others. And again it
takes an alert mind and a quick wit
TO handle the situation.
Members whose home districts are
west of the Mississippi are the envy
of their colleagues. Not that the
fasteners and Southerners have
such yearning for the wide open
spaces, but California and Washing
ton are not so conveniently located.
Train and bus fare is expensive and
visitors less numerous.
Secretaries to members whose dis
tricts are near Washington soon learn
the trick of locking their doors. but
for brief periods, during the day. Try
to crash the Office of Senator Mil
lard Tydings of Maryland except for
two or three hours in the afternoon.
Unless you know the secret knock it
can't be done.
The secretary must learn who can
and who cannot be admitted, and
who does and who does not rate a
personal visit with he boss. If he
knows every man, woman and child
in the district. it is still trick. Con-
StituentS resent the idea that their
duly elected Representative has gone
high hat and is refusing to see visitors
They voted for him or her as the case
may be, and that, they figure, entities
them to take up as much of his time
as they wish. They delight in drop
ping in at congressional Offices and
spending the day. That the member
might have few things to do, other
than chatting with them, never enters
their minds.
A GOOD secretary learns to separ-
ate the sheep from the goats.
Il other words. who must be admitted
to the boSs's private Office and who
can be put off with the story the boss
Is in committee or "at the depart
ments." The latter is the most sooth-
ing excuse 1t gives the impression
that the member is about the con-
stituent's business. In committee"
may serve, 1t isn't so convincing.
I'm conference" of course, isn't used
by the bright secretary. He or she
knows the constituent has probably
used that gag himself in order to
avoid unwelcome callers.
Like the policeman's lot in the
Gilbert and Sullivan opera, the Sec
retary's job is not an easy one, but it
has its bright spots. Occasionally
a job is found for some one who
really needs it and deserves it. The
warm inner glow which rewards the
secretary who tracked down that par
ticular job makes up for a dozen
Snubs.
Then, too. there is the humorous
side, The letter-writing constituent
seldom means to be funny, but he fire.
quently is. Such letters do much to
brighten the long, hard hours seere-
taries must put in to complete the
days work.
All in all, the l,500-odd men and
women in secretarial posts on Capt.
tol Hill are a conscientious, devoted
group. They hope they are doing their
bit toward advancing the interest OF
good government.