Evening star., 1908-12-21
Abolition of the Secret Service
May Be Proposed.
CONSIDERING THE MATTER
Recommendation May Be Made by
the President.
SIR HORACE PLUNKETT HERE
Expresses His Approval of the Work
of the Country Life Commission.
Successor to Knox.

Congress may be asked by President
| Roosevelt to abolish the secret service
entirely and put that institution in a
bureau of criminal investigation TO be
placed under the Department of Justice.
1t is known that the President is con-
| sidering such a recommends ton, and
| this may be part of his reply to the
! Houses inquiry as to the basis for his
utterances on the secret service in his
message to Congress early this month.
| The plan of the President is to con-
solidate the various detective bureaus
of the government under single head.
| This would include the secret service,
post office inspectors, whose duty it Is to
unravel crimes against the postal serv-
ice; special agents of the internal reve-
nue. bureau who handle violations of
| the internal revenue laws; customs spe-
cial agents engaged in detecting customs
violations: pension examiners and land
| office agents. 1t is proposed that one
chief have supervision over all, and with
districts throughout the country, over
which there would be subchiefs.
| The Presidents informa ton is that the
| ntIaliZation of this work would save
| the government thousands of dollars a
year and make criminal investigation far
more effective than at present. Chief
Wilkie himself pointed out the plan to
Congress some years ago. The expert
lence of the government has been that the
detectives of the different bureaus fire.
lquently fall over one another in large
cities, when, if they were under one head,
the number could be reduced. a secret serv-
ice man who is sent out on case often
| finds that it does not relate to counterfeit
ing, whereupon he drops 1t and reports to
his chief, who in turn notifies the proper
bureau, much valuable time being lost in
getting after the criminals. Under one
bureau the man sent out on the case
would be continued on it, no matter what
| it related to.
| The plan of the President would. how
ever, enable the proposed new bureau to
investigate anybody and any subject. even
| including congressman. Such plan would
prevent provisions limiting the work in
| any manner.
Indorsed by Sir Horace Plunkett.
Sir Horace Plunkett, who has accord
| ing to Clifford Pinchot, who introduced
him to President Roosevelt today. done
more for agriculture than any other man.
was one of the interesting White House
callers today. He will be guest OF
the President at luncheon tomorrow.
Sir Horace Plunkett takes a deep in
| terest in the country life commission
| that is now at work under direction OF
President Roosevelt to ascertain what
may be done for the upiift of farm life
| in this country.
| 'I believe this commission will do good
work in educating the farmer to inn
| proved methods, so that he will be able
| to do in twelve hours what now takes
| him fourteen or fifteen. and also In I'M
proving the social conditions on the
| farms said Sir Horace. THE uninvitins
| features of farm life here and elsewhere
are numerous. The hard work of the
farm, lasting from before sunrise until
after sunset, together with the small re-
muneration, except in rich sections Is
most discouraging. Make the social life
| better and pleasanter and lessen the
| hard work and drudgery of the farm and
| the inviting features will far overbalance
| the uninviting ones"
| What is the most profitable line OF
| Irish farm work at this timer
| Il believe that dairying and hog raising
| promise the best field for our people
| many of whom are turning their atten-
| tion that way.
| oliver May Be the Man.
Representative Bates. who has served
in the House from western Pennsylvania
longer than any other man from that
state, except Representative Dalzeii
talked to the President today. Mr.. Bates
! name has been among those mentioned tc
| succeed Senator Knox, who will go into
| the Taft cabinet.
MY friends have kindly brought me
forward" said Mr.. Bates, but 1 an
| awaiting developments. AS l see 1t now
1t is unlikely that 1 will be a candidate
There are some big and good men in the
| race for the senatorship, and ] would not
be surprised to see George Oliver win
out. He has for twenty years been a
helpful friend to the party. not only by
| means of his wealth, but of his advice
| He is man of great ability and fine
intellect and would take prominent par,
| among the distinguished men of the up
per house.
There is a general belief among Penn
sylvanians that Oliver will succeed
Knox. He is acceptable to the orsaniza-
ton. and the probability of cOmbina-
ton between him and Penrose, by which
the Pittsburg man will succeed Knox and
the Philadelphia man succeed himself is
| widely recognized. Pennsylvania men
say that the senatorship will be what the
politicians there speak of hand
picked" that is, the two senators will be
selected In advance by the powers that
be. as Root was in New York, and the
legislature will have little TO do but con-
firm the selections.
The Lincoln Farm Celebration.
Senator McCreary of Kentucky. who is
| a member of the commission appoint &c
bv the Governor of Kentucky to arrange
an elaboate celebration OF Lincoln's birth.
dav upon the Lincoln farm, near Louis
vile. February l., discussed with the
| President today his visit to Kentucky or
that date. The commission will meet ir
Louisville tomorrow to arrange the full
program
Not Many Visitors Today.
| congressman were scarce at the White
House today, there being comparatively
few visitors from the law-making estab-
lishment on Capitol HILL The Presiden,
will have a comparatively easy time dur.
ing the holiday season in respect to call
ers. but he will be busy preparing his
reply TO the resolution of the House upor
the subject of the secret service. This
and some further information he is col.
lecting as to the Panama canal will keeI
him occupied until Congress again as
. sembles.
President May Get No Elephants.
President Roosevelt was informed toda,
that if he follows the route which has
been laid out for him in his African
hunting expedition he need not expec,
To shoot any elephants. Col. J. w. Colen.
brander. who commanded a British rcgi