Evening star., 1960-12-16
Headache
At White
House
BY DAVID BARNETT

in her own right. Of q big
time operation when she
moves into the White House
next month.
Consider the household
budget Of the Executive Man
sion. For the current fiscal
year, it amounts to $505, 900,
not counting the special
funds Set aside for any re-
decorating the new tenants
might want.
Consider the household
staff. There are "a domestic
servants and 80 maintenance
and mechanical employees.
Problems.
The White House faces
the common problems Of
homemakers generally in this
age Of scarce help" but
there are some added ones.
Those employed to work
among the worlds mighty
must be as trustworthy as
angels.
A pastry cook with Q pen
chant for tossing arsenic in
the dough obviously is un-
suitable for employment at
1900 Pennsylvania avenue.
Equally unsuitable are
those who might be indiscreet
about what they see and hear
in the back rooms or who
could be pressured to provide
information to outsiders.
To help the domestic help
resist temptation, the White
House rarely reveals the
names Of members Of the be-
hind-the-broomS contingent.
And because they are such
special characters, most Of
the employees stay with the
the household even when the
tenants change.
The taxpayers get some
idea Of what goes on when
the White House. like other
Government agencies, comes
before Congress to get its
annual allotment.
For many years. the de-
tailed presentation Of the
, proposed budget was made by
the chief usher Of the White
House, Howell G. Grim.
Mr.. Grim recently died and
was succeeded by an assistant
Mr.. Bernard West. Because
Of q special request for $780,
900 for extraordinary alter
ations" - the redecorating
fund - the administration
sent its top money man, Bud
get Director Maurice Stans,
to ask for the bread-and-
butter money this year.
Apparently, the makeup of
the staff has not changed
much since the end Of the
Grim regime.
Domestic Force
The domestic force norm
ally consists Of a maitre d.
hotel, two housekeepers, four
buffers, six cooks. a valet, five
doormen. five housemen, Q
head laundress, q pantry
woman and eight maids. The
laundry is contracted out.
To keep the mansion and
its 10 acres of grounds in
shape, there is a maintenance
staff Of eight engineers, four
carpenters, two carpenters
helpers, four electricians, one
electricians helper, II gar
deners, three plumbers. two
storekeepers, a painter, q
clerk and a common laborer.
The average pay for the
maintenance force is $5.371
a year: for domestics, $3,709.
Like most other house.
hold budgets, the one for the
White House keeps creeping
I'D. Recurring expenses in
creased $4,000 this year.
mainly because of higher
wages, larger electric bills
and bigger laundry bills.
One Of the extra" jobs Of
the staH is to keep a close
tab on some 10000 items
furniture, linens, glassware.
silverware, china, etc. - In
the mansion.
This is not only good prac-
tice in any household: q
yearly inventory in the White
House is required by law.
Some changes in the White
House domestic staff ln-
doubtedly will be made. The
Kennedy family will prob
ably want to bring some of
their own longtime servants,
and Mrs. Kennedy is report
led to be interested in inn
proving the level Of the food
served at the mansion.
Complaints
There have been complaints
for years that the White
House has never been able
to develop a superlative
cuisine. Many Of the best
chefs soon leave for greener
pastures: the pay is not COM
petitive with that paid by
lovers Of good food Who are
not restricted to a pay scale
established by Congress.
And, of course, there will
have to be some staff addi-
tions Of the child-care va
riety. The two Kennedy
babies will move in next
month too.
copezi