Best Employment Agency in Town

After the Democratic landslide last fall, it looked as if a lot of lame-duck Republicans were going to have to leave Washington--a fate dreaded by politicians who have grown accustomed to the power and perquisites available in the nation's capital. But the anxieties of many of them have been allayed; they are going to stay put, thanks to the benevolence of President Ford who once served in Congress with them. He has already appointed a dozen G.O.P. election losers to Government at salaries not too far below their congressional pay of $42,500 a year, or in some cases even higher.

Among those favored:

> Earl Ruth, 59, Governor of American Samoa at $45,000 a year. A three-term Representative from North Carolina who calls himself a "country boy," Ruth has never been to Samoa. But he is sure his experience as dean of students at Catawba College in his home state will help him supervise the 28,000 Polynesians in his jurisdiction. He plans to be "firm but at the same time give the people all the leeway possible."

> Wilmer David ("Vinegar Bend") Mizell, 44, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development at $38,000 a year. A North Carolina Congressman and onetime major league pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, Mizell served on a House subcommittee handling aid to depressed areas. "This is my kind of bailiwick so to speak," he says of his new job. "I think the opportunity to serve in an area where I had such a real interest and involvement led me to stay."

> William Scherle, 52, Assistant Deputy Administrator for programs of the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service at $36,000. Defeated after eight years as an Iowa Representative, Scherle keeps track of fuel needs of farmers in his new post and advises them on tax rebates and refunds. "I have 27 years of experience as a grain and livestock farmer," he explains. "The job sought out the man."

> Lawrence Williams, 61, Special Assistant to the Co-Chairman of the Ozarks Regional Commission at $34,000. A Pennsylvania Representative, Williams cannot claim special knowledge of the Ozarks. But he will help plan projects for economic development of the depressed area. Says a White House aide who helped him get the post: "He's happy as hell."

Representatives are not the only beneficiaries of Ford's safety net. When Peter Dominick, 59, lost his Senate seat to Democrat Gary Hart, he asked the President for an ambassadorship. He got one, to Switzerland, at $38,000 a year, but he will have expense and entertainment allowances totaling $48,700.

When specific jobs are not available, losers can be hired as consultants. Two defeated Tennessee Congressmen --LaMar Baker and Dan Kuykendall --have signed on as advisers to the Department of Transportation. Baker, 59, who was a member of the House Public Works Committee, will earn $36,000 a year lobbying for the department among his former colleagues. Kuykendall, 50, who helped write the legislation creating the U.S. Railway Association, will offer part-time advice on how to put the plan into operation.

Another source of employment is the Federal Elections Commission, set up to oversee the new campaign financing law. Three of its six $38,000-a-year seats have been filled with losers. The President appointed one: former Missouri Congressman Tom Curtis, 63, who lost his Senate race against Tom Eagleton. Two others were named by House party leaders: Rhode Island Democrat Robert Tiernan, 46, and Wisconsin Republican Vernon Thomson, 69.

Beating Doors. Some losers lobbied hard for their jobs. Mizell paid a call on most of the Republican members of the Public Works Committee pleading his interest. Two dozen letters were sent to the White House on his behalf. Harold Froelich, 42, who lost his congressional seat in Wisconsin, rounded up no fewer than 155 supporters in the House who urged his appointment to the Elections Commission (he did not get the job). All things considered, the pressure on the White House to take care of the casualties could have been worse. "I was gearing up for an onslaught," said a White House aide in charge of job distribution. "And it never came. I figured at least half of the defeated Congressmen would be beating down our doors, and only about a quarter did. Most of the guys would write and say: 'Mr. President, I've had X years in Congress and if you can use me, then I'll help you in any way I can.' "

A few, on the other hand, have been picky. A G.O.P. official complains about former Indiana Congressman Roger Zion, 53: "He's been going around bitching about not getting anything. And then when we try him out on something, he doesn't want it." But Zion and several other deserving Republicans are likely to get what they want before the obliging White House runs out of jobs for the losers.

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