Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-04
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Annual and Sick Leaves to De-
partment Employees.
KEEP COMMISSION REPORT
The President May Speak at Indian
apolis Memorial Day.
FOR HEAD OF THE LAND OFFICE
Position Will Be Offered to Philip B.
MISUNDERSTANDING the Colo
RADIO River Break.
FOR HEAD OF THE LAND OFFICE

RADIO River Break.
An exceedingly important report to the
thousands of employees of the government
in Washington is in the hands of President
Roosevelt, and was placed before cabinet
members today. 1t deals with the questions
of annual and sick leaves.
The report was handed to the President
by Assistant secretary Keep. head of the
departmental committee of inquiry, which
is slowly closing up its business. The
committee has taken especial pains in its
Investigations relative to annual and sick
leaves, having spent fully year in gather
Ing data of all sorts these subjects
Every department of the government was
asked for a report as to the average annual
leaves of its employees. the number taking
sick leaves at what times Of the year and
similar facts Of interest. From these re-
ports and an examination Of departmental
officials the departmental commission has
arrived at certain recommendations that
have been laid before the President.
These recommendations. it is understood,
advise complete change in present meth
DDS Of granting annual leave, and also a
change in the sick-leave methods of the de-
partments.
Although 1t is not known how much of
the report will be made public, the impress
sion Is conveyed that the government Is
worked to a large extent for sick leaves
by designing employees who have no great
amount Of trouble in obtaining certificates
of physicians that they are under the
weather"
The President gave copies of the reports
today to heads of departments for their con-
sideration and recommendation to him. He
will probably send the report to Congress,
with recommendations for the enactment
of Wa ealing with these Subjects unless
it is decided that the recommendations
made by the Keep commission can be put
into force by executive order, which Is the
opinion of some of the members of the cabi-
net.
The President and Memorial Day.
President Roosevelt will probably go to
Indianapolis. Ind, on Memorial day this
year to deliver an address on the occasion
of the unwilling of a monument to Gen.
Henry w. Lawton, who was killed in the
Philippines shortly after the United States
took charge of the islands. Gen. Lawton
was Fort Wayne man. and the President
has always regarded him as one Of the
great and faithful soldiers of the country.
When at Santiago, In command Of the
diately under General Lawton, and only a
few days ago promised the generals
widow to send her son to West Point as
cadet.
Indianapolis will probably be the first
stop in rather important trip the Presi-
dent will make to the west early in June.
He has accepted several invitations to talk
to colleges at their commencement season,
If he is able to do SO. One of these Is in
Missouri and the other in Michigan. He
has scorce or more of invitations to
other places, but some time ago he was
disinclined to accept them.
The President was today invited to attend
the meeting of the Associated Harvard
Clubs at Detroit in May of this year. He
is a Harvard man. and feels considerable
interest In the affairs of the institution. The
invitation was presented today by Rome G..
Brown. The President gave encourage
ment, but If he can adjust the date of the
meeting to his Indiana polls trip he may at
tend.
Constitutionality of Child Labor Bill.
Prominent lawyers in the Senate are said
to regard with grave doubt the proposition
contained in the Beveridge child labor bill
prohibiting goods made by child labor in
one state from going into another. Therewas
conference at the White House this
morning the President talking with Sen
ators Beverage and Spooner. The Indiana
senator is confident his bill is all right, but
Senator Spooner and a number Of other
distinguished lawyers in the Senate are re-
puted to hold different views and to be I'M
prepared to give the bill their sanction.
Senator Spooner would not discuss the SUBJ
ject of his conference. but 1t was learned
from a ROOQ source lldl the COnStltutlOn-
ality of the measure, which has been in
dorsed by the President, was the principal
topic considered.
The Colorado River Break.
Another feature of the Colorado river
break, which has been so disastrous finan-
cially, was brought to the attention of the
President today. 1t concerns the famous
Laguna DAM about sixteen miles above
the tremendous sea that has been created
in the Salton valley by the break In the
river. The Laguna dam supplies most of
the Irrigation in its region. The dam is
threatened by a great cataract that is eat
ing its way back up the river at rapid
rate. This cataract, nearly as huge in its
fall and volume of water as the Niagara
through the soft earth In one day it went
back up the river q distance of seven
eighths of mile. If this should be kept
up the dam would be reached in short
time.
Those with the President were J. G.
White of the company that constructed the
canal; J. A. Ockerson. the engineer in
charge; Director Wolcott of the geological
survey aDd some of his assistants.
The President proposes to take the mat
ter under consideration to ascertain what
may be done.
New Man for Land Commissioner.
President Roosevelt has telegraphed to
Philip B. Stewart of Colorado Springs. Col,
to come to Washington for a conference, at
which the Colorado man will be offered the
position Of commissioner Of the general
land Office. Mr.. Stewart was the compan-
ion of the President on his last hunt In the
Colorado mountains. He Is prominent re-
publican of his state, and last year was
nominated for governor by the republicans
He declined to make the race, and another
republican was nominated and elected. Mr..
Stewart Is capitalist, and a member OF
the firm of w. A. Otis & Co.. brokers. He
is son of former Representative Stewart
of Vermont. The President has confidence
that Mr.. Stewart would run the affairs of
the Office with ability and courage.
Adam Medley, the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad engineer who ran the first train
int Wheeling hat in 10 In,