The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-28
His Fathers Son in the White House
|Congressmen Finally Decide They Will
 See Jimmy Rather Than See No One

| 0u1 CNcu SOIHS Ol these nave become reconciled to find that it is better to talk to James and get action on what they want, than to try for days or weeks to reach the President in person and have their business lost in the deluge of administrative detail which daily engulfs the President.
 James is not simply marking time at the White House. He be- lieves there is a job to do there, and is trying hard to do it.
 Will he run for governor of Massachusetts, where he has es- tablished residence at Framing ham?
 Not in 1938!" comes the direct and unequivocal answer, leaving an unspoken impication that it might come later. For James keeps activity in touch with Mas sachusetst state politics by tele- phone and occasional trips, and is definitely interested in political affairs on his own hook.
 There Is No Preference
 Twenty-One independent agencies of the government have a regular half hour a week reserved for them at young RooSevelts office. There heads of those agencies discuss mat ters of coordination of their work, of relationships with Congress, and administrative decisions that they think ought to have the ear of the President.
 James has a card index for each one of them, which his secretary keeps up to date with each call. A different color card tells just which matters are actively pend- ing, and which require immediate dicision.
 When the head of an indepen- dent office, say Robert Fechner of the eco, makes his regular call, complete set-up of pending mat ters is ready, with a notation of the exact status of all matters dis cussed in the past. Each such caller gets exactly a half hours time, so there is no jealousy or preference.
 Anywhere from five to eight congressman call each day on mat ters, some of which are trivial, some highly important. James job is to smooth over the trivial ones, and pick out the really in- portant ones for his fathers at- | tention.
 He has in the past done much active liaison work between the President and Congress in press ing administration legislation. This phase has now been subordinated to the coordination of executive detail between agencies, to avoid duplication, and to speed the work of callers from out of town who have business with one or more of the executive departments.
 Much of the job of getting to- gether the recent oddly assorted | parties of business-labor callers at the White House was done through James.
 Starts the Ball Rolling
 Does the Labor Department plan to get up an exhaustive report on some phase of women in industry? :? Maybe the Women's Bureau has al- | ASoAS NAOAAC 4ps ouI11 have often occurred. It is Roose- velt's job to see that one is in- formed of the work of the other, saving extra work and the con- fusion.
 Do certain power companies with business in Washington find themselves dealing with the IVA, and SEC and three other agencies on single matter? It is James job to try to get them all together and wrap up the whole matter in single package.
 Does the Federal Housing Ad- ministration need some smal, tag end of legislation passed to get a specific project moving? It is James job to contact the con- gressmen affected, and start the ball rolling.