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Show -o OFFICE SEEKERS. Traditionally at this period Washington is full of a horde of would-be servants of Uncle Sam. They turn up ever time there is a change of administration anxiously anxious-ly looking for pickings big and little. There are not so many as usual where a president is re-elected. But no doubt the population of Washington is considerably augmented aug-mented by this element as Mr. Wilson starts his second term. There should be nothing discreditable in seeking a post under Uncle Sam. Our government departments need no end of good men. There is a great field there for systematizing ability. Competent judges have always said that a good organizer could save many millions of dollars. But good organizers fight shy of government work. The power of form and custom is too tremendously strong. If a trained business executive began to shake up the dust, there would be a tremendous clatter of dry bones. He would find himself so tangled up with precedents and customs and regulations that he would get little done. As the departments have secured better protection against the assaults of the spoils seekers a better class of young men has been going into the civil service. But young fellows of exceptional initiative and force are not much attracted by its opportunities. They dread the sinister sin-ister influence of politics, and are attracted to employments employ-ments where individual merit is more quickly recognized. They don't like an employment where you must work through some congressman or politician to get recognition recogni-tion for good work done. The office seekers include thousands of good honest workers, who will render faithful faith-ful service along a certain grobve. But they will not be first class executives until congress gets the business idea of placing the departments in the hands of business men and gives them the power for a complete reorganization. |