The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-01-18
WASHINGTON
SIDE LIGHTS
tMan Special to the Advertiser.)

WASHINGTON, Il. c., Dec. 31.-The
National capital is girding itself for
new period of strenuosity. There has
been a pronounced lull. Since Presi-
dent Roosevelt became executive head
of the nation, the city of his official
residence has waxed and waned In ac-
tivity by tremendous vacillations.
When the President goes out of town,
nearly every official figuratively throws
down his tools and takes things easily.
As there are time honored precedents
against working industriously for the
government between Christmas ana
New Years, there would have been In
activity any way but the President
went away to Pine Knot, Va, for the
holidays--or Immediately after Christi
1nas-and "why should we work" rea-
sons the government clerk and the
government official.
But how everybody jumps when the
Presidents special train comes snort
ing back into the Washington station!
And how everybody jumped when the
President returned from Pine Knot,
thus signaling the beginning of the
New Year, the beginning of executive
activity in 1907. the beginning of the
social season. the beginning of real leg
islative activity on Capitol Hill, al
though Congress does not reassemble
till Thursday, January 3, and really
does not intend to do any work till
about Monday, January Z.
There has been world of official
1oafing in Washington during the last
twelve months. Probably that feature
was never more prominent. AT least
Washington observers think so. But
there has also been lot of mighty
strenuous work at intervals. The New
Year of 1907 will begin the right way,
with everybody attending pretty strict
ly to government business. Scores OF
millions of dollars, in fact hundreds OF
of dollars, must be appropriate
ed within the next sixty days. Con-
gress must do the strenuous to accom-
plish it's task. The thousands of work.
ers in the departments are generally
less heedful of Congress than they are
of the President but it is rule which
holds most of the time that If Congress
is buckling down to business the de-
partments are doing likewise. When
Congress Is minding its tasks, 1t has
many thing for the departments to
do. Members of Congress are asking
questions about this and about that.
They are seeking recommendations
for bills they have introduced and as
every bill introduced goes to
some department for recommended
ton, the work of examination by the
proper officials keeps a small army OF
men busy. Public land bills, for In
stance, are referred to Secretary of the
Hitchcock; bills affecting the |
revenues, to Secretary of the Treasury |
Shaw pension bills, to the Pension
Bureau. Not that the Recommended
tons of executive officials are always
followed. They simply guide and If
the recommendations from depart
ment are favorable the bill has better
chances of passing
OF course the New Year started off.
as it always does in Washington, with
The big reception at the White House.
The army officers and the navy officers
n Washington looked over their full
lress uniforms, patched up the moth
loles and brushed off the dust. This
has been in anticipation of the assem-
bling two abreast under the bare arms
IF the big trees in the White House
and of the marching into the
White House, where the President
stands with a smile and handshake
OF Every coliltl. but tiiS AMY "'iN
lavy officers, whose numbers in Wash
ngton is always a mystery, are only
small portion of the annual contin-
rent that marches past the President.
rhe ambassadors, of course, are first
eceived, for they represent the persons
# their respective sovereigns and all
,ficial Washington, except the Vice
President, who is sort of heir appa-
ent, must yield the pas to them on
III occasions. With them, with the
supreme Court and also the judiciary
f the district of Columbia, and with
rmy and navy officers, the New :
ears call is a duty and it Is perform
d punctiliously. t
On New Years, however. the Presi- {
ent also receives Congress" The {
ustom means that Senators and men, |
ers are expected to call and receive c
he Presidential greeting, after work. I
lg their way up the long line. AS l
natter of fact the New Years GUS
pm with reference to Senators and
lembers is more honored in the breach
nan the observance. Very few OF
nem think 1t worth the while. There
a lean coterie of Congressman al
'ays present, but 1t rarely includes
ny of the prominent leaders. Some
re not back from the holidays but
lore do not care to take the trouble.
hey see the President frequently,
lille the most of the other callers on n
ew Years see him only rarely. |,
But at the end of the long line al c
avs comes 1.-The dear public" Any b
ne who will fall in and stand his q
round long enough to get up to the
resident can participate in the pro- n