The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-08-30

uTiVE ORDER AHENT SIN.
PLIFlEp sPEEElhGs

aaH4FHLM rE&1
WASHINGTON AHg&so@The Pres
IidenFs order regarding sinptifedH
spelling VIM BE extended To- an e
partments Of the government BY
PMr Roosevelt6 direction an public
documents are to be printed with that
formtof spelling.
al meeting, called By Pubic Print
Ter sAliingss Of ali the chief clerks Of.
the various departments was held and
q committee was appointed to fsrmu-
late rules for carrying out this order.
The committee win report ct a fls
ture meeting.
Mr. stiIlings has concluded that II
ia none OF the public's busines what
style of spsliIng Is used in the prepas
ration of the public documents print
ed In the shop Of which he is the
head, and is doing all he can TO sur
lround the execution Of the Presidents
orders with mystery Of the deepest
sort. Yesterday, at the meeting of the
chief clerks, he explained -coniden-
italy what he meah to do about re-
forming the oficlal spelling of Wash
ington and cautioned them lever TO
Ireathe a word OF what he hal SO
solemnly disclosed. Then he crawlei
into his hole and has not reapTsurcd-
no sort of device could tempt him ont
to-day, and lest by chance he should
answer a. wrong call on the telephone
ara IN embarrassing question lie ask
ed about the public business OF which
r.. is III charge he had the telephcae
disconnected.
The President CONQUERED that The
1ssuarce of his first order was of sufh-
clcnt public Interest to warrant hug
having 1t announced BY his Sc .reLary
at oyster Bay. The Public Printer
has now decided that that was a mis-
take, ard. since me a taken command
OF the execution of the order, ne will
see to 1t thai not a word shall escape
him. new or old, in spelling.
1t appears that the orders ISSUED by
ne President were not of the class
tnat are called executive and there.
fore have not been filed with Lhe State
Department or transmitted TO the 9th.
er departments. They we're directed
simply to the Public Prtnpsf for his
guidance in preparing the documents
which come to his office from the de.
partments. None of the departments
has received copies of the or:lers or
has any omcial knowledge of their ex-
%istence or purport.
1t will be a comparatively simple
matter to have all the documents
from the departments which go to
the Public Printer appear with the
"Carnegled" spelling, but 1t remains
to be seen what view Congress will
take of the matter. Congress estab-
lfshed the government Printing Office,
and thinks it pays for 1t. it is not
at all unlikely that Congress will
think the Public Printer has no right
to make changes in the established
style OF spelling, according 10 stand
ard dictionaries, without Instructions
from It. Such instructions would, of
course, take the form Of law, for they
could be conveyed only by formal en-
actment or specia, resolution, either of
which would omcially commit the Uni
ted States to the adoption Of the sim
p1ified spelling.
IL Congress develops a tendency to
combat the move of the Preaident it
may easily provide a vexatious mix
up in requiring two sets Of employees
at the printing Office. It will be prac-
~tically impossible for one lei of men
of follow both styles alternately with
out making frequent plumbers in each,
and two sets of men means " sets
OF salaries.