The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-02-02

think Of the reckoning for the piper.
The hearings are executive, and the
committee took particular pains to keep
General Bingham's testimony secret.
But it leaked to inside circles and
finally reached the Presidents ear.
General Bingham was Immediately
transferred to another army assignment,
although some plausible excuse was
given to the newspapers. General Bing-
ham as an army officer, even on the re-
tired list, has been compelled to hold
his peace, but it is no secret that his
real attitude for President Roosevelt is
one of intense hatred.
The special committeeman now inves-
tigating the expenditures in divers de-
partments in connection with detective
forces, are scratching their heads in an
effort to devise some good way of get
record. One of the items in question
pertains to the distribution of choice
cut flowers from the propagating gar
dens and the botanical gardens. For
years the Superintendent of Public
Buildings and Grounds had an abund-
ance of flowers, so that he could send
generous bouquets to Mrs Speaker, Mrs.
Vice President, to Mrs. Senator and
Mrs. Representative, if the husbands
were men of sufficient influence in
Washington affairs. He even helped
out the ladies of the cabinet on big en-
tertainment days or on occasions of
big dinners. There were flowers enough
from the government houses to save
many a florists and decorators bill.
Kept AL Flowers for Himself.
dent all this ceased. The White House,
it has always been well understood,
must have first call upon the govern
ment blossoms. For the lass six or
seven years, although the gardens have
been forced to a large output, the
product at times has been inadequate
Public Buildings and Grounds has had
to go into the open market. That was
one of the things General Bingham had
to do, and in telling the House Appro-
priations Committee of it he offended.
| The big bugs in Senate and House nat
urally noted the cutting off of their lit
tie floral graft, and tongues have been
wagging accordingly.
The House special investigating COM
mittee is particularly anxious TO drag
to the light facts regarding police SER
vice in and around the White House
and its grounds. Now there are over
forty metropolitan policef of the Dis
! trict of Columbia, stationed there The
number is much in excess of the detail
in previous administrations. These
policemen are paid for out of District
of Columbia appropriations, one half
and one half from the general govern
ment. Major Sylvester, the local chief
of police, has been grumbling about
this large detail, but, like others, dares
not come into the open, for the District
of Columbia is known as the Presi-
dents little kingdom. There is hardly
an official head of any Importance in
this little kingdom that the President
can not lop off if it be his will.
|. Members of the Appropriations Com
mittee claim it can be shown that not
only has the President employed I'M
usual numbers of the metropolitan po-
lice, but that certain of them have been
detailed for service at Oyster Bay, dur
ing the Presidents residence there in
summer, to police the grounds at Saga
more Hill. This latter assertion is
doubted by many at the Capitol, al
though the interest in seeing it proven
J or disproven is very keen.
Automobile at Oyster Bay.
Another matter the Congressional in
vestigators. want to bring to official
light, because of the annoyance they
hope it will cause the President in so
far as it demonstrates his willingness
to evade law, whenever he wants any
thing, pertains to the automobiles he
has been using. Formerly the Presi-
dent was not at all friendly to the au-
tomobile as means of conveyance.
He preferred to ride behind horses,
which the quartermaster' department
of the army purchased for him and
which the quartermaster' department
took over for use in the cavalry when
, the President desired other steeds. This
! practice, it should be said, is under
stood to have been followed by some
5 other Presidents.
But last summer the President want
! ed automobiles for the use of himself
: and his executive office at Oyster Bay,