The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-03-01
IT HAS
SCORED
SUCCESS

intelligent upbuilding of the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor here Is
attracting much favorable attention in
Congress. Business men over the
country are learning that this new de-
partment, now organized less than
year. has large field of usefulness
ahead. 1t Is attaining to the useful
ness, designed by Congress in creating
1t, much more rapidly than Congress
| expected. There are always critics to
| disparage n new undertaking. They
were not silent when the new Depart
ment was authorized. But the De-
partment is destined before long to be
quite as popular in its field of work
as the Agricultural Department is with
| the farmers of the country.
Secretary Cortelyou, the first men,
Der of the Cabinet to represent the in
| terests of Commerce and Labor, will
be able this year to get appropriations
for his work much more easily than
was the case one year ago. He has
proceeded cautiously, thinking it bet
ter to proceed slowly than to proceed
with haste and make mistakes. The
! Department has been installed in very
presentable quarters, all the offices be-
ing new, well arranged, and, although
not highly pretentious, admirably suit
, ed to the present needs. He has CIV
, en- careful attention to the personnel,
gradually bringing together as efficient
and courteous a working force, as can
be found in the Departments of any of
his cabinet colleagues and possibly
more so. There have been no pyro-
technic methods. Consideration of
matters affecting immigration, corpo-
rations, labor interests, shipping, and
other topics over which the Depart
ment has been given jurisdiction, has
proceeded along conservative lines.
The Secretary has been laying the
foundation for very extended opera
tions, wherever there seemed to be an
opportunity to collect useful informa-
ton for manufacturers, shippers, wage
earners or for the general public.
One interesting incident of Secretary
Cortelyous administration has been his
attention to the development of good
material for the important places in
his Department from the force of gov
eminent clerks. 1t has almost become
an axiom in official Washington that
the government clerk, however bright
and promising he may have been,
speedily becomes drudge without am
bition. Many of these clerks are COL
lege graduates and We're accounted in
their communities men who ought to
make good careers for themselves. 1t
is rare that one of them rises to po-
ston of much Importance, if remaining
in the service a half dozen years. Mr..
Cortelyou, however, is one of the most
conspicuous examples of what a gov
eminent clerk can do If he will. He
used to have clerkship in the Post
office Department.
Since he became a member of the
Cabinet and head of a Department,
Mr. Cortelyou has had his eye upon
young men who could fit into good
places within his gift. He now has a
clerical force of very willing young
men and in the last few months, they
have made an unusual record in the
number of extra hours of work. A
census of the time of work in the diff
ferent departments was taken not long
ago when the President was about to
direct that the working hours in the
Departments should be extended from
p. m, the usual closing hour to 1880
p. m. The figures showed that Mr..
Cortelyous clerks had been remark
ably Industrious.
! Mr.. Cortelyou is himself a very dill
gent worker. 1t is nothing uncom-
mon tor him to go to the Department
in the evening to attend to official bust
ness. Not a long time ago. he noticed
square jawed young man also work.
ing at his desk frequently along into
the evening. He made some inquiries
r about the young mans record, found
1t was good, and gave him a fine pro-
motion.
When Secretary to the President, one
of Mr.. Cortelyou's popular traits was
= tactful courtesy in dealing with the
thousands OF people coming to his Of
flee. That is also characteristic, not
; only of his own office but of every Of
flee in his department. Mr.. Cortel-
Y you wants to see everybody possible
| who has legitimate business. Those
WHO come are given that impression
the moment they come in contact with
the men in his anteroom. This cour.
tesy wins the Secretary friends and
helps his Department.