Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-10
WHY GARFIELD WAS NAMED.
President Expects Him to Overhaul
 the Interior Service Department.

fresident Expects Him to Overhau
 the Interior Service Department. Washington, D. C., Dec. 1O.-A
 reason very important to the country
 actuated President Roosevelt in th,
 appointment of James R. Garfield a,
 secretary of the interior to succeed
 Ethan Allen Hitchcock. It is the de
 sire of the president that there should
 be a thorough overhauling of all
 branches of the interior department
 service and he feels that nobody is
 better equipped to conduct the In.
 vestigation which he wants made
 than Mir Garfield.
 It has been known for a long time
 that Secretary Hitchcock wished to retire from the department. It was only on the personal and urgent re- quest of Mir Roosevelt. made when the latter succeeded the late Presi- dent Mckinley, that Mir Hitchcock consented to remain at the head of the interior department. He has been seeking proper opportunity to relin- quish his duties ever since: but until now the time has not seemed ripe for the change.
 X few years ago. the secretary be- gan an inquiry into the land frauds of which the government. perhaps for two decades, has been the victim. As the inquiry progressed. startling facts were developed. The deeper the probe was plunged. more serious the situa- tion became. The disclosure of one set of facts led to investigations further along. until Secretary Hitchcock found himself involved in e series of inquiries. the extent of the ratifica- tions of which nobody possibly could know.
 Not only the ordinary public lands were involved in the frauds. but min eral lands. including gold. silver. cop per. lead and coal mines. timber lands and practically every other interest of the government. relating to the public domain. were found to he per meated with corruption and fraud. The developments fin the situation placed Secretary Hitchcock very much in the attitude of the man who had firm hold on the bears tail. He did not care to hold on and he dared not let go.
 The investigations are ny no means concluded yet. but they have gotten into such shape that a transfer of tue department to another secretary now can be made without imperilIng the interests of the government. It is the purpose of the president not only to have Mr Garfield continue the in- quiries begun by Secretary Hitchcock. but to institute a rigid and sweeping of all branches of the interior department. itself. Many have reached the prssl- dent concerning the operations of some of the bureaus of the depart Inent and be proposes to get the not tom facts on which the complaints are based if that be possible.
 Nr Gar1eh vas selected to do this work. because tcmperzmentslly and be is cxceilenfly qEsIi- ned fort it. He is a natural digger zftrr facts. is a lawyer If good ability sud. once he obtains a bold ca any thing. he cannot h. prici loose- The president feels that if there ls any .rsndsi or corruption CT locsenc~s of methods in the interior cepzrtzent. Mir Garf.h wfrl discover I.- He h.s energy and Is young .n.I xzrrsssfve- His service not cnIy IS cIIsef of the bureau of curpo<zt5sns. but alpo e . member cf the Keep rounsss;on eunvfscsd tbe preufdeat LHaf ka Rno fho mnn W1um - 0nufuG b U1wfnhp Co vi h tbe mfeF1eG lqa<<EU-- ft k be1e<o4 Cuua1ny. het surh sn fnvt<<fkzf,co ss 1fr Gar frkf vii fn<-if1sr ufl hr rruzffr1 e< uJprs>st r~-ulf<. fnr it t sn sfsa 'erre< fbat thoE< h foed fkr an fs- |sH H.S q - 2 es - , {: ssr' 'f 'A<