The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-12-04

DECEMBER 4, 1908. 81
states that have been made almost daily
since his election.
1t was supposed that he talked with
Mr.. Roosevelt. while here, about a new
Assistant Secretary of the Navy. For
Secretary of the Navy Metcalf has re-
signed on account of i'll health and As
sistant Secretary Truman II. Newberry
has been promoted to his place 1t is
taken for granted, that with efforts to
merge their two administrations, Mr..
Taft and Mr.. Roosevelt would agree
upon some man for assistant secretary
who could remain after March 4. In
deed, it is believed in some quarters
that there is such as agreement as to
Mr.. Newberry, who was staunch Taft
adherent, did much to win the state of
Michigan over to the support of Mr..
Taft for the nomination at Chicago
and, who also is man especially well
fitted to head the Navy Department.
He has been student and enthusiast
on naval affairs for many years, is ac-
customed to large affairs and probably
should make very excellent secretary.
The Navy Department.
In fact, the Navy Department has
been rather unfortunate in the brief
terms of its secretaries in the last seven
years. 1t takes man year or so
to become familiar with its administra-
ton. A strong clique of navy officers
take keen professional pride in run
ming the department to their own lik-
ing and they have the technical knowl-
edge which gives them an advantage
over new secretary, or a secretary
who does not work hard to familiarize
himself with the department, or sec.
rotary who does not happen to be a
forcible man.
Mr.. Newberry long ago demonstrated
that he had strength enough to enforce
his ideas upon the department and the
service and the President came to look
upon him as the man who could edo
things" in that department. Mr.. Met
calf has long been in poor headth and
never asserted himself as force in the
management of the department. As
much was true of his predecessors, Mr..
Bonaparte, now Attorney General, and
Mr.. Moody, now Justice on the Supreme
bench But neither of those gentlemen
served very long in the department and
never Ind time to get very thorough
grasp of the department IS affairs. Pau
Morton, who preceded them as Secre'
tary of the Navy for year or so, was
a good business man and might have
made an excellent secretary had he
stuck to the task. He resigned to be-
come president of the Equitable Life
Assurance Society.
Rush for the ofices.
There has been a big rush of Office
holders and seekers upon Mr.. Taft bu
he is avoiding those gentlemen as mucl
as may be for the present. He will
recognize certain men who have beef
influential in securing his nomination
and election, but, on the whole, prob
ably comes into Office as free from
pledges as any man ever elected to tn,
presidency. The biggest rush from an.
state is from Ohio, because that is MI
Taft's own state and because the Ohio
ans are great office seekers, Away
cage: for slice of Federal pie.
1t is improbable that Mr.. Taft will
recognize any man as the arbiter o
the pie knife. He has already con
suited Mr.. Hitchcock, his nationa
chairman, to ascertain who performe'
valuable service for him. Very prob
ably many of those men will be takel
care of, if they desire Federal Office
Many officeholders of the present ad
ministration have been back here an
t, Hot Springs to ascertain what tn
future had in store for them. 1t j
understood that Mr.. Taft has been &c
ing very slowly in extending assul
ances. There will he no wholesale dc
capitations, but he will gradually dis
place many of these men with Reput
Leans of his own selection.
Two presidential offices of great SCI
: timental and practical Importance II
main to be filed by the next occupar
of the White House. They are I'll
presidential spokesman on the floor.
Sometimes they are designated by tn
less reverential as mouthpieces.
Spokesman for the President.
The spokesman are almost invar
ably intimate personal friends of I'll
President, who are also men of tact an
! judgment and who possess politics