The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-08-10
SUMMER DAYS
IN WASHINGTON
How Things Are Going on at
Capital of the United
States.
(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)

national government at Washington Is
now running with a minimum of energy
The exodus of oficialdola is at its most
pronounced stage. Some days there is
not cabinet officer in town. They are
scattered all the way from Hawaii,
where Secretary Straus is studying i'm
migration and other problems, to Muir
ray Bay, where Secretary Taft is wind
ing up his vacation preparatory to
trip around the world.
The subordinates in the various de-
partments and bureaus are hurrying
away as fast as opportunities offer. The
mercury often climbs to 100 degrees on
Pennsylvania avenue. The hotels are
deserted. No one is coming to Wash
ington these days who can possibly
help it. Only routine business, as a
rule, is transacted and, of course, Off
cials feel that there is not much reason
for their staying here.
Then this is the height of the vaca-
tion season for the clerical force Ev-
ery man who works for the government,
except few who are not allowed vaca-
tions, is planning for his time to get
away from town. A feeling prevails
that there is long and very strenuous
period ahead and that period of rest
is needed to prepare for it. When the
President gets back to Washington in
October things will be doing. The
preparations for the winter 8 session of
Congress will be extensive. There
viii be many conferences to arrange for
the legislation which the President
wants. There will. be world of plesi
Dental politics.
The session of Congress will be the
long one and will probably last for six
months to be followed by the nomina-
ting conventions and the presidential
campaign. The President will be I'M
able to get away to Oyster Bay as early
next year as he was able to do this
year. The presidential election will be
followed by a short session of Con-
gress and the Inauguration. A new
administration means five or six busy
months always and in addition it is al
most a certainty that the next admins
tration viii be ushered in with an extra
session of Congress for the purpose of
revising the tariff. And therefore the
period of long and restful summers, |
with half holidays every Saturday, may |
be interrupted for year or two after
this. Furthermore it is not unlikely |
that the next President will stick more
closely to the White House than Presi-
dent Roosevelt has done and that means
harder work for everybody connected
with the administration.
THE TREASURY SURPLUS.
Recently new agitation has been
started with reference to the growing
treasury surplus, but it is hardly ex
pected to bring about any legislation at
the coming session. Former Treasurer
Ellis I'll. Roberts, in a magazine article
has sounded the dangers of the present
surplus of approximately $90,e00,000
and sounded a clarion call for Congress
to legislate this winter so as to reduce
the revenues and remove some of the
burdens of taxation that rest upon the
people. He has a very plausible argu- ,
nent and the tariff revisionists are
making the most of it. They find in
his argument from man who was long
Identified with the administration
ground for enforcing their appeal for
,ariff revision at the coming session of &
Congress.
However, the standpatters will not {
need it. They say that Mr.. Roberts, :
low at an advanced age, is disgruntled /
because he was displaced for some one '
whom the President favored. While
his may not be an entirely satisfactory !
.epIv to the facts and figures that Mr..
Roberts marshals in powerful and con- I
rineing array, the tariff viii not be
.evised by the Republicans till after !
he presidential election. 1t would dis \
arrange the President s program for
,urther railroad reform and upset
ritual understanding that exists be- i
veen the Republican leaders and the a
highly protected trusts.
THE WAR SCARE OVER. d
The Japanese war scare has died a
lown in Washington as it has through
inf the country. This is greatly to the h
satisfaction of officials who have the 7
vaIfare of the nation at heart and who
II not want the jingoes to disrupt the =
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