Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-15

pleased with the oh1ciousness OF COT
gress in this matter.
Treasurys Clipping Bureau
Perhaps the nearest approach to
press agent in the government service
Is 80 treasury clerk who goes through
the newspapers and digests them for
Secretary Shaw, who has no time 10
read the papers. This clerk was dis
cI;ssed by the inuuisitive people in con-
eress, who wanted to know, you
know" The assistant secretaries con-
vinced the congressman that the
treasury press clerk was a useful IN :
stitution and that the treasury WOULD
be handicapped, II not disabled. with
out him. So an appropriation was made
for him last winter and he Is now a
permanent attache. He goes through
the papers-which are paid for by the
government, Of cOurse-and picks out
whatever he thinks the secretary and
his assistants would like to read. If
newspaper should say something nice
bout the treasury. for instance, this
clerk would clip the article and sendN IT
to the secretary by one of the force OF
messengers placed at his disposal. Or
Ii another paper should declare that
Secretary Shaw's boom for the presi-
dency was waxing big, Or that MS
W ould be clipped and sent to the secre-
free" of course
wherever he might be speaking. Thus
the secretary Is kept in constant touch
with the public sentiment Of the coun-
try, and Is better able to make speeches
which strike the popular chord.
Everybody knows, of course, how
naval vessels are used as "perquisities'
of the officials who are fortunate
enough to commanders them.
Naval Junkets Are Tempting
Sometimes, however, there is a little
erowl from the press when one of the
assistant secretaries of the navy finds
that an inspection tour of the navy
yards Is necessary to tone up his
health. and takes a big naval vessel
for his conveyance. These inspection
trips are nothing more than costly
tunkets at the expense of the teasury,
The navy yards are so temptingly To-
Gated. however, near fashionable sum-
mer resorts that the average assistant
secretary has not the moral courage
to resist the temptation.
One of the junkets that has met with
universal appreciation, costly as it is,
is the trip Of the secretary of state
around South America. The expense
of this trip will be quite large, but the
object aimed at is so important, and
Secretary Root is so obviously the only
man who can accomplish 1t, that the
use of government funds in this con-
nection is universally approved. The
cruiser Charleston, upon which the Sec
retary and his family are travelling, is
one of the finest vessels in the navy.
1t was especially arranged for the trip.
extensive alterations having been made
in the admirars quarters, which are
occupied by the Root family. No one
begrudges this junket as one of the
perquistes of Secretary Root. After
all, it is no small tax upon his strength
to pass from arctic to tropic weather
and back, Drawing the pamperos of the
River Plata, running the gauntlet of
Magellan and risking the Infection OF
disease at such unhealthy ports as Rio
and Guayaquil 1t is certain that Sec
retary Root did not arrange this junket
for the pleasure it would afford. In
this respect his outing differs greatly
from some of those enjoyed by other
officials at the peoples expense.