Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-26
CHOICE UP TO TAFT
Next immigration Commits
sioner Man He Selects.
PRESIDENT WAITS ON HIM
Leaders and Lawyers of Labor Bod
les Under Consideration.
KEEFE'S NAME Is MENTIONED
His Confirmation by Senate Prob
ably Would Be Fought-Other
Candidates Talked Of
PRESIDENT WAITS ON HIM
KEEFE's NAME Is MENTIONED

The long delay in the appointment of a
commissioner of immigration to succeed
the late Frank Sargent is understood to
be due to the fact that President Roose-
welt really intends to leave the selection
to President-elect Taft. and that Mr.. Taft
is not ready to make his recommendation.
The President intends to appoint labor
leader as commissioner if he can find a
suitable man in labor ranks to accept the
place. He took the same ground when he
selected as commissioner Frank Sargent,
then grand chief of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen
President Mckinley picked a labor man
in T. V. Powderly. who had been grand
chief Of the Knights of Labor. Mr. Pow
derby is now at the head of a special
bureau of the immigration department.
and has been talked Of for his former
post as head of the establishment. 1t Is
stated on pretty good authority, though,
he will not be named.
Recognition of Labor.
Mr.. Taft is likely to pick out some act
i've labor leader who did good work for
the republican ticket in the last cam
paign. The reference of the appointment
to Mr.. Taft is with the object not only
of permitting a recognition of labor's sup
port of the republican party. but because
the new appointee will have to serve
under the next administration, which is
close at hand.
Timothy keefe, head of the Longshore-
mems Union. has been talked of for the
cOmmissionership During the campaign it
was declared he already had been offered
the place. He denied this at the time.
Keefe was vice president of the Fed
Grafton of Labor until the recent meeting
of the organization at Denver. Another
man was elected then to the position as
rebuke to Keefe for his opposition to
the policy of Samuel Gompers in favoring
Bryan.
One serious trouble about the appoint
.ment of keefe. or any other man who
openly fought Gompers and his policy in
the last campaign. will be that the Fed
Grafton of Labor will fight his confirma-
ton in the Senate. !.
Men Who Will Not Accept
There are labor leaders whom the Presi-
dent would be glad to name, but who will
not accept. Grand Chief Stone of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is
one of these. He prefers his present
place. however, and can hardly be in
duced to take federal position.
P. H: Morrissey. grand chief of the
railroad trainmen until short time ago,
is another He is now at the head of a
business concern that pays him $4,000 a
year. and couldn't afford to leave that.
Besides labor leaders considered by both
the President and Mr.. Taft, the President
is weighing the availability of several at
tOrneys for labor unions. He believes
that these men. when they have the con-
fidence of the labor bodies they represent,
may be of great value in holding down
radicalism and in aiding the labor people
along conservative lines and purposes.
Frank Hitchcock is in Hot Springs and
will tell Mr. Taft about the work done
by a number of labor leaders. He knows
more as to what some of them actually
accomplished than any other man.