The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-10-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.

| Social circles here are much interested
in the divorce suit and scandal in which
| Senator Plat of New York and his wife,
| long a resident of this city are concerned.
Senator Plat has been in Congress since
the days of Conkling and his face has
been familiar to people here for more
than twenty-i five years. He has probably
more appointees, especially those of the
famale persuasion in the Department
here than any other man in the country.
When his engagement to his present
wife, then Mrs. Janeway was announced,
there was free prediction that the Sen
ator was not laying up for himself a
! peaceful old age and the society women
of Washington helped to fulfill the pre-
diction by snubbing Mrs. Plat on all
occasions and by making her social career
here a prompt failure. When Miss
Snow, the daughter of Mrs. Plat by the
first of her three marriages was married
last spring to Colonial Carmody the plot
thickened and the application for divorce
by the young people and the publicity
given the Senator's unhappy domestic
situation coming close on its heels, have
ELECTED more II told you so's' than
actual surprise. The aged Senator it
appears has been the victim of several
love affairs during his second youth and
one Mae Wood gained notoriety last
year by claiming damages for broken
promises from her ancient lover. All of
these examples and many others less
widely known urge the adoption of a
suggestion made in the days of the un-
fortunate Breckenridge of Kentucky that
a bureau for the protection and safeguard
ing Of easily tempted Congressman from
willy school girls and widows should be
established at the Capitol.
*x*
The great Government Printing Office
which must be of interest to all tax pay.
ers in the country since it is one of the
most expensive Injuries of the Govern
ment that they must support is once more
in the public mind as a result of the re-
port of the Keep Commission which has
lust been issued. For number of years
there has been prevailing idea that re-
forms were much needed in that insti-
tuition and since the Postofice disclosures
a few years ago the big print shop has
come in for more suspicion than ever.
The Keep Commission has presented to
the public report which shows that if
cause men better than the average have
been in charge and in the fear that such
virtue may not always be obtainable the
necessity for reform in some of the bust
ness methods of that Office is imperative.
The Government Printing Office IS one of
the anomalies of the Government or
ganization. 1t is one of the most expen-
sive of the government institutions but it
is under the supervision of no Cabinet
officers and the Public Printer is answer
able alone to the President He spends
money without any direct supervision
and in one instance is said to have made
a million dollar contract without consul
tation or approval of any higher officers.
Illustrative of this remarkable latitude,
is another instance cited in which he is
said to have paid half a million dollars
for typesetting machines without consult
ing supervisor. The Commission wisely
argues that such conditions would not be
permissible in any other business and
that they should not be allowed in this
Office, and recommends that new law
governing the administration of the
affairs of the Public Printing Office should
be enacted. 1t is probable when the at
tention of Congress is turned to the Print.
ing Office and reforms there begun the
Public Printer will be made a bureau
officer and placed under the supervision
of Cabinet Officer.
Apropos of this subject of the Printing
Office it is stated by the Public Printer,
Mr.. Stillings, that in overhauling the
Office lately he came across lot of ma
terlal, mucn OF II type that had never
been taken from the packages. This type
is useless for the Printing Office since
nearly all of the work there is done by
machinery and consequently the type
will be offered for sale. 1t is now being
assorted and it will be so arranged that
country newspapers and small printing I
offices can avail Themselves IF the onDor
tunity to buy good type at large re-
duction from the current prices. The
Public Printer will not follow the old
custom of disposing of all the material to
some one contractor.
~
The appointment of Hon. Charles E.
Magoon to the temporary Governorship !,
of Cuba seems to meet with general ap- !