The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-12-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
Last week the announcement of the
engagement of Miss Alice Roosevelt,
eldest daughter of the President, and
Representative Longworth Of Cincinnati,
Ohio, over Swallowed other matters of
interest and has been the talk of the
capital. The man in the case is thirty
six years old, graduate Of Harvard Uni
versity. lawyer, wealthy and is serving
his second term in Congress. He and
Miss Roosevelt accompanied the Taft
party to the Philippines and inasmuch as
she earnestly denied the engagement as
soon as she landed in this country, it
must be presumed that it is of very recent
occurrence, although the courtship, If ap-
pearance means anything, has been fully
two years duration. Miss Roosevelt is
twenty-five years old and is the daughter
of the President by his first marriage.
Her mother died when she was few
months old. and she has been reared by
her aunt, Mrs. Cowles, who is sister OF
the President. Mrs. Longworth, the
mother Of the prospective groom is for
some occult reason opposed to the match,
and when last heard from was sceptical
as to the truth of the engagement, but
. was waiting for official confirmation be-
. fore she would give it formal recognition.
Nail the world that loves lovers is afraid
Mat Mrs. Longworth will cut her son
Nicholas off with only million or two
and is solacing its apprehension with the
knowledge that he has that much in his
own right Fortunately the young couple
will not have to buy bric-a-brac, Miss
Roosevelt having brought carload from
China and Japan. 1t is intimated by
interested friends that if they will follow
in the footsteps of their thrifty ancestors
and adopt few modern fads. eat break
fast food like 'Force," cit" and all that
they may be able to keep house in mod
est way.
~
There will be issued in few days the
official register of the United States
known as the .'Blue Book" 1t will show
that the total number of persons employ
ed in Washington by the Government is
7s,4SI and that they receive in salaries a
total of $a7, I4s,7oo. 90. The Treasury
Department employs the largest number,
6,3o1 the Department Of State the smaller
number, 100. The others are distributed
through the War. Justice, Navy. Interior,
Agricultural, Commerce AID Labor, Gov
ernment Printing Office and Government
of the District of Columbia. Panics
financial, commerce or industrial never
affect Washington. The pay of Gov
eminent clerk goes on forever, for taxa
ton never lets up and Uncle Sam has
always the wherewithal to pay his en-,
ployees. 1t will be of interest and doubt.
less refreshing to the tax payer through
out the country who ultimately pays this
considerable sum of over twenty seven
millions, to know that the present admin
istration is getting more and better work
out of this vast number of Government
clerks than any previous administration.
and that it is taking steps to reduce ex
penses and simplify and increase the efic-
ieucy of this Governmental force, and that
there is prospect of considerable reduc-4
ton in expense as well as an increase in
quantity of work before the end of the
present administration. All the mem.
bers of his cabinet and their staff are
working to this end.
wv
The Government Printing Office, often
referred to as the biggest printery of the
world, employs as printers, bookbiuders,
photographers and 10 the various indus
tries pertaining to the printing business
4,364 people. Recently Charles A. Still
ings has been appointed to succeed Mr..
Palmer, who twelve years ago was made
public printer after he had served term
in Congress and was appointed, as many
public printers before him have been, on
account of his political influence and con-
nectious. He was an extremely agreeable
old gentleman and not worse than hun
dreds of others who have been appointed
to good paying, responsible places all
over the country. The new public Print
er is a young man of the strenuous
Roosevelt type and he promises that old
and clnmsy methods will be discarded
and the best modern methods adopted,
even if it is necessary to turn the Print
ing Office up side down and wrong side
out. Political pull will be kicked out of
the back door and men will be esteemed
for their ability and not for their backing.
The employees of the Printing Office
have for years been able to keep out type
setting machines and il has cost the Gov.