The National tribune., 1907-10-03
CABINET ABSENTEES.
Altogether They We're Away From Their
Desks One Year and Eight Months.

"'0Ss'"Si A"Sy WIZ away A'Sfn '"s'
Desks One Year and Eight Months.
The rounding up of the widely scat
tered Cabinet has been progressing rap
| idly during the past week.. The extend :
ed vacations have been coming to a
close, so that now Secretary .-of State
Elihu Root, Secretary of the Treasury
are the only members Of the official
family not in town.
None of the Cabinet travellers has
been able to travel on railroad pass
during the Summer, which is one of
the interesting features. But the Gov
ernment has been paying for much of
the transportation. The bill will be
enormous, including the expenses of
Secretary Taft for going around the
world. for the trip to Hawaii and back
of Secretary Straus, and presumably for
Secretary Roots trip to Mexico, not
| to mention the transcontinental trips
/ of several other Cabinet officers. The
Cabinet official who could not roll up
an expense bill of $1,000 during the
Summer was not very smart.
1t was done under the heading of
business trips" Inspection of Depart
mental affairs in distant States has be-
come favorite task with members of
the Cabinet, as well as with their Subor-
dnateS. The items of expenditure rare
| ly reach the public for there are ap-
preparations for general or incidental
purposes which are broad enough Ia
warrant the payments.
| The duration of the absences of Cab
| met members from Washington was
notable. Secretary Taft, who is now in
Japan, on the way to the Philippines,
has been away from the Capital so days
during the past Summer and Autumn.
! In that time he has already Travelled
10000 miles. and will travel nearly as
much more before he IS back in Wash
ington again.
y big bunch of Cabinet officers got
away from Washington June % last.
including Secretaries Root. Straus and
Metcalf. Attorney-Geaeral Ronaparte
left about the same time. spending con-
siderable time at his rural home near
Baltimore and also Il month at Lenox.
Mass. The table shows in concrete form
something of the Cabinet vacations:
Secretary Root. left June %, returned
Sept IA. about n days.
Secretary Straus, left June 20, re-
turned Sept. I, about 20 days
Secretary Metcalf, left June 90, re-
turned Sept. 13, about &c days.
Secretary Wilson. left July 3, return
ed Aug. 81 about 50 days.
Secretary Garfield. left July 3, re-
turned Aug. 80. about 5S days.
Postmaster-General Meyer. left July
II. returned Sept. 16. about 62 days.
Secretary Cortelyou, left July II, has
not yet returned.
Secretary Taft. left July 3, returned
Aug. 10; left again Aug. Is for Japan.
Attorney-General Bonaparte. numer-
GUS short trips out of Washington dur
ing the Summer.
Thus it will be seen that the nine
members of the Presidents cabinet in
the aggregate spent a total of '619 days
away from their desks during the Sum-
mer, estimating Attorney-General Bona
parte's absence at a total of so days.
This reaches the total of one year and
eight months. As Cabinet officers now
receive $4,000 per annum as Salaries.
1t will be seen that the Summer vaca-
ton among the top-notchers of the Gov
ernment cost Uncle Sam exactly $20,
900. This is pretty good sum for nine
men to consume in three months.
Until Secretary Taft returnsl Secre-
tary Straus holds the palm for long,
overseas journeying. Leaving Wash
ington June 30. the Secretary went first
to Montreal, Canada. on tine longest in
speetion tour ever undertaken by Cab
net officer. He visited Immigration sta
tions along the Canadian line from Mon
treal to Winnipeg and Vancouver, going
tHeite 10 oedttlc anu odH II TtUClSco, ana
sailing from that port on July rs for
Honolulu, where he arrived July 81. On
his return he visited the Yellowstone
National Park. but this part of the trip
was entirely one of pleasure, and was
at the Secretary's personal expense On
his trip he was accompanied by his wife,
daughter and private secretary, only Mr..
Strauss own expense. of course. being
borne by the Government. 1t is esti-
ma of n nana r m NJ of orre
and Labor that Secretary Strauss trip
cost the Government not more than
81. 900. And II is claimed for it that it
was of immense business benefit to the
Department.
Secretary Wilson Is another of the
Cabinet to have put in some strenuous
travelling while inspecting conditions in
his Department in the West. He looked
into the big timber reserves. and Secre-
tary Garfield investigated while absent
the public lands. Indian questions, etc.
forming an important part of the work
of the Interior Department. He spent
only two weeks actual vacation at his
home in Ohio.
The vacations of the other Cabinet
officers were entirely for recuperative
purposes. Secretary of the Treasury Cor
telyou has been spending the Summer
on his farm on Long Island, near the
Presidents home at Oyster Bay, and
only an hours ride from New York
Hence he has been able to keep in close
touch with the financial situation, and
his presence here has not been essen
| tial.
| Secretary of the Navy MetcaIf went
to California, his home State and spent
his entire vacation tramping thru the
mountains around Sacramento, hunting
small game, while Secretary Root In
addition to spending some time at his
home in New York, took the now fam
Gus rest cure for several weeks at MuI-
doon's.
During his abserce from Washington
Postmaster-General Meyer with the ex-
ceDtion of about 10 days when he was
| fishing in Canada, kent in close touch
with postal affairs in Washington, and
Secretary Taft, while he was at Murray
Pay, Canada. also found time to keen
iup with the more important matters re-
quiring action by the head of the De-
partment.
! The experience of the Summer has
! been to show that the long vacation has
been popular feature of official life.
Only a few years ago Cabinet officers
took two or three weeks rest like ordi-
nary clerks, and considered themselves
lucky President Roosevelt, whose loyc
of outdoor life made the fields and