Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-20
Intended Reform in the I'm
migration Service.
SUCCESSOR TO SARGENT
Selection Not Yet Made by the
President.
PLAN TO DISTRIBUTE LABOR
Recommendations to Be Made by
Secretary Straus-President Sends
Encouragement to Harvard.

| Secretary Straus admitted at the White
House today, prior to the cabinet meet
! ing, that he intends TO shake uo the i'm
migration service to some extent. espe-
cially at Ellis Island.
| "All we intend to do he said. lis to
keep a sharp eye on the affairs of the
service. Public office, you know, is not
a franchise, as l myself will probably
| find out before long. We want the best
service we can get out of employees of the
government.
| When pressed for a statement as to
whether the overturning will affect Rob-
ert Watchorn, commissioner at Ellis
Island. Mr.. Straus indicated that it would
not, declaring that no better man than
Mr. Watchorn could be found in the coun-
try for the position he occupies. The
shake-up will not be confined wholly to
the New York office, but will extend ito
other immigration establishments.
Mr. Straus said that the President is
not yet ready to name commissioner of
Immigration to succeed the late Frank
| Sargent. The position has been. vacant
for number of months, but the Presi-
dent does not appear to be in hurry to
fill it, 1t has been intimated that the
place would go to a labor leader, but
who it will be no one seems to know.
Secretary Straus' Plan.
Secretary Straus will recommend in
| his annual report a plan for aiding
the unemployed. He did not care to
talk about it today. preferring that 1t
shall come out in his report. He has
discussed it with the President. 1t is
understood the plan Is to be develop
| ment of the bureau of distribution in
| the immigration service in charge OF
T. " Powderly. This bureau collects
| information regarding industrial con-
| ditions throughout the country, and
keeps constantly Informed of the labor
supply and demand 1t then informs
the new immigrants where they will
celebrating this idea and establishing a
bureau of registration for employees, to
which employers could have access,
Mr.. Straus believes that a more favor
able distribution of labor could ne
| brought about.
| Mission of Labor Leaders.
Three Brooklyn labor leaders who have
| come to Washington to appear before the
| ways and means committee to urge that
a protective duty be put upon patterns
and molds called at the White House
! this morning and made an appointment
to see President Roosevelt tomorrow.
| They went before the ways and means
committee today. They feel they have
assurances that the ways and means
committee will give them the protection
asked for.
The delegation consists of James
l.. Gernon. national vice president
America: John Watt, a district presi-
dent of the same organization, and Will
| liam Case, president of the New York
Association of the organization. The
visitors are going to see the Secretary OF
the Navy before leaving Washington to
urge that the machinery for constructing
the battleship Florida in the Brooklyn
navy yard be built in the yard.
Work is none too plentiful now" said
Mr. Gernon, land the navy yard can do
| this work as we'll as 1t can be done out
side
Qualifying for Platt's Seat.
Secretary Root walked to the cabinet
meeting today with a considerable limp,
his wounded leg having healed but little
in the last few weeks. You seem to be
hobbling badly, Mr.. Secretary" was re-
| marked to him.
yes, am qualifying for Senator
Platt's seat" said the Secretary.
| Senator Hemenway of Indiana, who
will lose his seat in the Senate because
Indiana elected democratic legislature,
called on the President today. Senator
Briggs of New Jersey was another caller.
Justice Day of the Supreme Court and
Representative Pujo Of Louisiana were
| also callers.
At the cabinet meeting today there were
three absentees. Postmaster General
Meyer and Secretaries Garfield and Will
son.
| Wants Harvard to Win.
President Roosevelt wants to see his
alma mater. Harvard, beat Yale in their
annual gridiron contest Saturday, and has
sent an encouraging message to the Har-
ward team, through the Harvard Mag
azine To the maya zine the President
| wrote:
Accept my greetings and the express
sion of my heartiest good wishes for the
team. THEODORE ROOSEVELT
| President Roosevelt has received a tel
|egram from ex-senator Patterson Of Col
orado complaining that the Carlisle In
dams have broken a contract to play a
game of foot ball with the Denver Univer-
sity eleven, and asking that the matter
be investigated. The President turned the
matter over to Commissioner Leupp of
the Indian bureau, who has written to
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