Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-29
The Vacation Season Is
Well Under Way.
Prominent Officials Are Scatter
ed Far and Wide.
Our Ex-Vice Presidents-A Maine
Man in N. c.

(SpeciaD--The exodus of department
officials this year from Washington
has been both early and numerous
Spring vacations have come into
vogue. There is no special rule about
the time secretary or assistant secre-
tary Shall remain at his desk provided
ne Keeps up with his work and does all
the government hires him to do
when the policies of the administra-
tlon are well settled and there are nc
new and trying questions to dispose
o. business lags in the offices. Most
OF the work is routine work. The
chiefs of division and the clerks can
handle it eXpeditiously and well.
Usually at this period, just after a
new administration has come in, there
are scores of new officials who are
working day and night to familiarize
themselves with their new duties. But
now these officials are practically all
trained to their tasks, know from four
years and more what is expected of
them and what the Presidents wishes
are with reference to nearly all the
matters in hand. Therefore the facil-
ity with which many go off on little
vacations. Since about the middle of
March. the cabinet membership in
town has been exceedingly small. SO
small that some cabinet meetings have
been omitted altogether. Secretary
Hay, as is well known, has gone to
Europe, but his health is very poor
and he is travelling in an effort to re-
cover it. Secretary of the Navy Nor
ton is sailing in Southern seas, with
iCfi nc ninlS
panions. including Senator Hale and
Speaker Cannon. They will hardly
return here before next Sunday, as
Acting Secretary Darling figured it
the other day, after a message had
been sent to him to come to Washing
ton as soon as convenient. Assistant
Secretary LoOmis of IL State Depart
ment is also out in California enjoy
ing himself On his ranch.
In a few days now, the President will
start away on a spring vacation. Dur
ing his absence official business is al
ways lax in Washington and it will
certainly happen that soon after his
special train whirs away into the
Southwest a number of cabinet officers
and assistant cabinet officers will get
ing nothing. Away they will go for IL
few days spring vacation. Secretary
Taft. of the War Department, is now
having the most strenuous time, for he
has to attend to the business of his
own department and also the impOr-
tant business of the state department,
being the acting Secretary of State.
But Secretary Taft is to have a long
vacation this summer, covering a three
months trip to the Philippines. So
the President feels warranted in work.
ing him a little harder than he might
otherwise do. Enormous as the secre-
tary is iii avoirdupOis he is as lively a
man on his feet as there is in the
cabinet. He proceeds almost on Il
run from the War Department to the
White House offices and can climb the
long flight of granite steps to the
State War and Navy building almost
as rapidly as Secretary Morton. who
has a habit. after he has been to the
White House offices of leaping up two
or three steps at time.
Vice President Fairbanks has no du-
ties except to preside over the Senate
but he is still tarrying in Washington
where he has a residence that is a
center of hospitality. He will remain
here for several days yet. before going
back to indianapolis. The Vice Presi
dent has been travelling considerably
since Congress adjourned. He enjoys
making public addresses and is in con-
slant demand on such occasions.
Since the extra session of the Senate
adjourned. he has spoken in New York
City, before the Ohio Society. and at
Greensboro, n. c.. before the Tar Heel
Club 1t seems something like a nov
city to have vice president in WASH
ington, for there was none during most
Of ROosevelt's first administration. The
Vice President is always a figure OF
social and political prominence in the
National Capital and this is more than
ever true of Vice President Fairbanks
In recent years the vice presidents
have maintained large and hospitable
establishments i'm town which has
added to the general pleasure. Vice
President Hobart had home in the old
Don Cameron House. diagonally oppo-
site the White House. across Pennsyl-
Ndllla Avenue. vice fTeSIueHt IlOOSc-
welt was fitting up splendid residence
in the Northwest, when he became
President. 1t was rot far from Vice
President Fairbanks residence at
and Massachusetts Ave-
nue.. Not since Cleveland's second ad-
has the vice president
lived in a local hotel. Vice President
Adlai Stevenson lived at the Norman
lie during almost his entire term. He
had large apartments there, but en-
tertained in nothing like the style of
his successors. He and ex-Gov. Levi
P. Morton of New York, are the only
living ex-vice presidents. The num-
Ger of these former officials Of the fed |
Aral government is almost as few al |
ways as the number of ex-presidents,
because the men nominated for vice |
president are generally as well along |
n years as the men nominated for |
president.