Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-12
At THE WHITE HOUSE
The Difficulty Over the Cabinet
Nominations.
PROBABLY ANOTHER LIST
Railroads in Alaska Will Not Need
Government Aid.
THEY FAVOR THE CANTEEN
Board Of Managers Of Soldiers Homes
Urge Repeal of Provision
Excluding Canteen.
PROBABLY ANOTHER LIST
THEY FAVOR THE CANTEEN

SacHdtOTs AiuIlCn ana SpOOneT Oh the SEN
ate finance committee. accompanied by
Secretary Root. conferred with President
Roosevelt today about cabinet nominations
that have been received at the Senate, and
the failure of the last nominations to COM
ply In point of form with prior nominations.
In the case of Postmaster General Cortel-
you. nominated to be Secretary of the
Treasury, the finance committee found no
indication on the nomination as to when
Mr.. Cortelyou would assume the duties of
that department The conference developed
the fact that the State Department. which
makes out the nominations of cabinet off,
GERS, had failed to follow the form of other
years. The fact that the State Department
attends to the clerical work of filling out
the nominations led to the presence of Sec
rotary Root at the conference. From the
White House the callers went to the State
department, where an arrangement will be
made that viii result in better information
for the Senate committees in the future
The finance committee objects to receive
Ing nomination that fails to give the
probable time when the appointee will take
the oath of office. None of the cabinet
appointments sent to the Senate furnished
any such information, and the senators
were rather positive that they could not
DO business without sufficient knowledge as
to what they were doing
Mr.. Corteyou will become Secretary OF
the Treasury March 4, it Is stated. and Mr.
Garfield will enter upon his duties as Sec
rotary Of the Interior at the same time
1t is the intention of ATTORNEY General
Moody, who will probably be confirmed to-
day as an associate justice OF the Supreme
Court. to take the oath of office and begin
his duties In the court December "a the
day before Christmas.
Probably Another List.
1t was the impression among senators to-
day that the embarrassment over the con-
firmation Of the Presidents cabinet nomi-
nations will be ended by the President
making change in the wording of his SUBJ
mission of the names The difficulty at
present exists over the fact that the man.
ner In which the names were sent in leaves
the impression that some of the officials
superseded were dismissed. and also that
there is an overlapping OF dates.
This can be remedied. 1t is said by the
President sending another list to the Sen
ate providing for all of the changes to take
place March 4. and stating In language
which will not be subject to eauivocal con-
struction that the changes are voluntary.
1t is thought that the opposition to At
torney General Moody's confirmation
brought forward by some of the southern
senator's on account of his record in the
House will not extend to the point of caus-
ing his rejection.
1t is thought that the appointments con-
sequent upon Attorney General Moody's
transfer to the Supreme Court would take
effect as soon as the nominations are con-
L
General Cortelyou to the Treasury Depart-r
ment will not take place until March 4.
Railroads in Alaska. ~
Senator Penrose OF Pennsylvania intro
duced to the President today a party OF
capitalists who are interested in the con-
struction of railroads in Alaska. They were
w. F. B. Stewart of York, Pa; II. Barring,
Wilkesbarre; A. ]. Stewart. Mr.. Hutchins
and o. p. Hubbard of Alaska. They are
StOCkhO1dQrS in the EaIdez-Ynkon railway
which has long been seeking government
aid for pushing the road. In the last ses-
sion of Congress the House passed a bill
looking to government aid for railroads.
The President told his visitors that Gov.
Hoggatt of Alaska had recently investi-
gated the question of government aid and
had reached the conclusion that private
capital was ready to invest in roads with
out the government giving aid. He recon-
mended that nothing be done. The Presi-
dent, who once thought the roads ought to
have aid, Is said to have changed his mind
and to agree with Gov. Hoggatt. who
knows the affairs of Alaska exceedingly
well.
statement that Cardinal Gibbons would
see President Roosevelt by appointment to-
day was declared to be untrue. The Catho-
lie prelate came to Washington on business,
but returned to Baltimore without seeking
the President.
Representative Pearre of Maryland intro
duced James w. Buck of Kensington.
They Favor the Canteen.
The board of managers OF the national
soldiers homes. headed by ex-Gov. Murphy
of New Jersey, called on President Roose-
welt today to pay respects and to chat with
him. The board has been holding its an
nual session in this city, considering mat
tiers of interest and Importance to the vari-
GUS soldiers homes. 1t was stated by sew
eral of the members that the board Is
about to submit report to Congress that
strongly urges that the appropriations for
soldiers homes for the next fiscal year
shall not contain any provision prohibiting
the operations of q canteen. The board is
unanimous in it's conclusions that the pro-
vision passed at the last Congress exclud-
ing the canteen from homes from March
to July was not such legislation as would
conduce to temperance and contentment
among the old soldiers, and that no further
legislation of this sort should be attempt
ed. The board takes the position that the
sale of beer and light wines In soldiers
homes serves to keep the old soldiers in
their quarters and prevent them seeking
vile and poisonous drinks in other places.
1t is declared that the light drinks IN mod
Grafton do no harm and tend to temper
ance.
Special Japanese Message.
On the 18th of this month President
Roosevelt will send to Congress as a spe-
ciaI message the report he received from
Secretary Metcalf on the japanese situa-
ton in California. It is not known whether
he will transmit the report without COM
ment or whether he will take occasion to
say some Interesting things. The under
standing now is that the report will go in
without comment.
The first bill President Roosevelt has
signed at this session is one providing for
the use of certified checks to secure COM
pliance with proposals and contracts for
naval supplies.
Representative Burke of Pennsylvania,
who is a member of the House committee
on military affairs, talked to the Presi-
dent today about some changes in the
physical requirements for entrance to the
army. Mr.. Burke thinks that 1t is unfair
to reject young men from entrance to the
army ON the small excuses that are fire.
quently given as applying to alleged physi-
cal defects.
Governor-Elect Hughes in Town.
Governor-elect Charles E. Hughes OF New
York spent last night at the White House
as a guest Of President Roosevelt. leaving
Washington before o'clock this morning
to return to his own state. He was taken
to the railroad station in the Presidents
carriage.
Governor-elect Hughes was entertained at
a dinner at the White House last night, a