The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-07-28
NEW BIDS FOR
QUARANTINE
WHARF HERE

addressed to him, are held at the In
terror Department awaiting his arrival
AS President Roosevelt is at Oyster
Bay and likely to remain there for some
weeks, Gov. Carter will go there un-
doubtedly for the parley he desires.
Whether he will go to Oyster Bay be-
fore visiting Washington is not known
here.
The Interior Department is also IN
the dark as to what is likely to be done
about the continuance of Gov. Carter
in office. So far as is known there no
applications have been made from
Hawaii for the Governor office, but
the chances are that any applications
would go direct to the President and
would not be placed on file in the In
terror Department Ior several weeks.
SCANDALS IN WASHINGTON.
Contrary to the usual conditions when
the President and most of his cabinet
officers are away, Washington has not
thus far had dull summer. The IN
vestigation of scandals has been in full
swing and the end is not yet. The sum
mer is opportune for such investiga-
tions. The rumors of grating and of
irregularities, lavish administration and
the like, occasionally limited at during
the fall and winter months, are given
additional emphasis when summer
comes on. There is less to command
public attention. The Washington
newspapers harp on the scandals, news
papers outside take up the refrain and,
driven by the force of public sentiment,
officials undertake little house clean
ing. President Roosevelt is quick to
drive such Investigations through. In
that there is a decided difference from
former days, when the men higher up
secuted rumors of public scandals and
had to be forced to make an investiga-
tion.
Now it is not difficult to start an in
vestigation, but it is sometimes diff
cult to have it thoroughly and COM
pletely done. The President, and es-
pecially his cabinet officers, want to do
their investigating behind closed doors.
OF course excellent arguments can be
made for such a plan, because the SEN
sational press exaggerates the disclo-
sufes. On the other hand it is the ex-
perience in Washington that investig1-
tions, without full publicity, are never
as thorough ard the offenders are not
so severely punished as when the news
papers record the developments and
critical editors and correspondents fur
nish a stimulus in columns of daily read
ing.
BAD ADMINISTRATION.
The prevalence of bad administration
in the Washington departments is
amazing. Many officials have had a
long and uninterrupted tenure, have be-
come careless, and things are done that
, would not have been thought of eight
years ago. During the Mckinley ad-
ministrations, a spirit of recklessness
prevailed. Political favorites had to
be rewarded after that tremendous
campaign of 1896 and they were re-
warded by hook or by crook. These
same men still exert an influence in
Departmental affairs which is not east
ly shaken off. The President is con-
scientious in his efforts to have an hon
est administration, but he is not al
ways fortunate in the men he picks to
help him to that end. And so the scan-
dals have continued to flourish. 1t has
been talked for years that things were
wrong in the Agricultural Department,
but only few days ago were correc-
tive methods applied and then only in
degree. The investigation of the cotton
leak scandals, which cotton interests
have been complaining about for the
last three or four years, resulted in the
dismissal of one man, Mr.. E. s. Holmes.
Secretary Wilson was going to let the in
vestigation rest right there, but the
public outcry was so great that the
President virtually went over the head
of his Secretary of Agriculture and or
dered that there be further inquiry. Cot
ton commission houses began to pound
away for the dismissal of other en-
ployes, who, according to common re-
port, have been guilty of improper con-
duct. 1t looks now as though the De-
partment might at last be the subject
of more investigation.
For years the Government Printing
Office has been in bad repute. A scan
dal has opened up there recently in the
award of contract FOR 72 Lanston
typesetting machines, costing $4,000.
This contract was awarded under very
unusual circumstances. 1t was drawn
outside the Office and the Public Printer
went frequently to the residence of the
President of the company to consult
about it. A clique of subordinates
Joined him in furthering' his efforts.
While Mr.. Palmer is not accused of dis
honesty, he is a very old man and it
appears that he has been used by de-
signing persons.
ERNECn n WAI.KER