The National tribune., 1906-11-08
ASSISTANT SECRETARIES.
A Number of Changes Likely to Occur
Among These Desirable Places.

A Number of Changes Likely to Occur
| Among These Desirable Places.
Il AS the Winter comes on and the
members of the Cabinet take the new
portfolios In accord with the Presi-
! dents recent announcement, there will
be number of changes in the subor-
dinate places-in the places of Assist
ant Secretaries and Chiefs of big Bu-
reaus of the s5.O0O-a-year class. One
Of these has already been announced
| the prospective retirement of Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury Charles Hal
| lam Keep. He is regarded here in
| Washington as one of the very best
appointments President Roosevelt has
made, altho there have been hints oc-
casionally that the President and Mr..
Keep did not get along together very
well. But it is cOnceueu that MIR. Keep
| has demonstrated unusual business ca
pacity, and that he has shown a wise
head in conducting Treasury affairs.
The Keep Commission, of which he is
Chairman, has undoubtedly saved the
Government many hundreds of thou-
sands of dollars in suggesting and in
enforcing plans for more economical
administration in the Departments
Many have thought the President could
have done worse than promote Mr.
Keep to succeed Secretary Shaw when
that official retires mex March. But
Mr.. Keep has large business interests in
Buffalo. his home city. and is anxious
to give these interests his attention.
The positions of Assistant Secretary
in a Department pay, as rule, $4,000
a year, and from the financial stand
point are far more desirable than a
place as member of the Cabinet which
pays $4,000. An Assistant Secretary
need not maintain an extensive estab
lishment or enter into the social whirl
or spend a lot of money entertaining
people for whom he cares nothing in
particular. The official duties are not
especially arduous, and occasionally the
Assistant Secretary becomes Acting
Secretary when his chief is away.
There are three Assistant Secretaries
of the Treasury which positions arel
regarded as the most desirable of alli
of that class under the Government
Young men prefer them even to the
three Assistant Secretaries of State orI
the Assistant Secretary of War or the
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, or anyl
one of the four Assistant Postmasters-
General, or to any one of the numerous
Assistant AttOrneys-General. The last |
named assistants. on retiring from Of
flee. are generally in fair way to make |
a lot of money practicing law, but their
prospects are hardly as bright as those
Of an Assistant Secretary of the Treas |
ury. Financial institutions in New
York and other big cities are very glad
to pay for having an ex-Assistant Sec
retary of the Treasury at the head of
their executive force. AS fast as any
one of the Assistant Secretaries of the
Treasury is willing to retire he can
command a salary two or three times
as large as the $1,000 the Government
is paying him.
1t has been Secretary Shaw's policy
to start as many young friends as pos.
sible in this way. He has promoted
two of his private secretaries to these
places. One of them. Robert B. Arm
strong, is now occupying a lucrative
position in New York City. Another of
them, Mr.. j. H. Edwards, was pro-
NOTED only a few months ago from the
post of private secretary to Assistant
Secretary.
Postmaster General Cortelyou will
probably install his present First AS
sistant. Frank H. Hitchcock, in the
Treasury. He is a young man, who
has been very successful in executing
the wishes IF Mr.. Cortelyou, and who
has shown capacity for affairs. Indeed,
young men have been very fortunate in
good places under this Adj
whereas few years ago
the same places were going to men of
advanced years. who made the posi-
tions the elimination of their careers.
On the other hand, these young men
are making the places stepping stones
A recent appointment of young man
to Assistant rney-General-the ap-
pOintment of Civil Service Commits
sioner Afford w. Cooley-emphasized
the Presidents fondness for putting
Young men in positions of responsible
ty. Mr.. Cooley has for several years
been the mainstay of the Civil Service
of three. He soon becomes
IN Assistant Attorney-G General at s., 900
which is an advance of $1,500 a year
in his salary. He takes the place ofI
Charles II. RObb, young man who
did a lot of very valuable law work for
the Administration, including the con-
viction of Ex-senator Burton, of Kan
sas, and who has been given the very
place of Judge of the District
Court Of Appeals. 1t is life position
worth $1,000 a year.
In making Army promotions theI