The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-05-04
SECRETARY OF NAVY
FAVORS BATTLESHlP
FLEET FOR PACIFIC

Accordingly between July and
October 1. big linen covers have been
spread over scores Of official desks In
Washington aud the dust has accumu-
lated to notable thickness in their
rooms The big federal city became
very like big village all the while
that government business Of moment
was transacted ut the summer capital.
Assistant secretaries of the departments
were quite as jealous as cabinet officers
in giving Washington wide berth, not
only for the term of the months vaca-
ton which the law allows them, but for
two or three months. variety Of ex-
cuses for inspection trips and numerous
other errands came prominently to the
fore and there was rivalry in being
first to leave and the last to return.
Not infrequently the most stirring in
quiry of an official day in each Of the
nine departments during the summer has
BEEN "Who is acting today The
office of the nominal head of the de-
partmcnt fitted from room TO room like
will of the wisp and one could not
tell beforehand what subordinate might
be signing the departmental mail as
"Acting Secretary.
There will probably be less of that this
year, although after all Washington
may be in the deserted village. class
for n few weeks after Congress has ad-
| iournod. The Treasury Department
people, for example, will have to be on
the job right through the hot summer
| when the pavements simmer with the
suns rays and emphasize the attrac-
tions of the cool resorts by the sea and
on the mountain tops. The new tariff
law will go into operation when Con-
gress adiourns Its administration will
involve a deal of daily application on
the part of Treasury Chiefs. Hun
dreds of little questions about the inter
probation of the law will arise and often
can only receive a final answer from
officials in Washington. The accession
of new officials generally in the depart
ments will make against the long and
leisure vacation practice.
In the Navy Department, the Assist
ant Secretary almost invariably goes ON
n tour of certain of the navy yards.
The chiefs of bureaus-all Navy Off
cers-take an inspection trip or two
on matters pertaining to their own
specialties Establishments, recently
created or enlarged, all the way from
Kittery, Maine, to Guantanamo and
even to Honolulu, have been exceed
ingly attractive to Navy Bureau chiefs
during the summer months. Similarly
the Assistant Secretary of War finds
errands that require his personal at
i tention, but the army posts are gem
orally located inland and trips thither
involve long and dusty railway jour
neys that are forbidding as compared
with voyages on the water to points
where the navy yards and stations are
|
rotary of War and the officers of the
General Staff are able to do less official
junketing in the hot months than their
official brethren of the Navy.
AS President Taft leaves the admin
istration of the departments very
largely with the members of his cabi.
net, much in the matter of the character
of summer effort will depend upon those
department heads. Heretofore there
has been great scattering every sum
mer of subordinate officials in the In
terror Department which is one of the
largest of the departments. These as
sistant secretaries and bureau chiefs
have been travelling annually all over
the Western country, incidentally in the
regions of high attitudes, of well stock
ed trout streams and government lands
Astounding with game. 1t looks now as
though some of those jaunts would be
cut off. Congress is waging fierce
warfare, in the name of economy,
, against the big lump sum appropria-
tions out of which the expenses of these
official perigrinations are paid.
Then numerous assistants and chiefs
are uncertain about their official tenure
An OCCASIONAL head is falling. There
has been quiet but effective change of
policy here and there especially in the
more aggressive fields of Rooseyeltian
activity, and this is bringing change
in officials. The men, who were Jealous
in Rooseyeltan lines, see that their
places are desired for men of different
, attitude This is particularly true in
certain bureaus of the big Department
of Commerce and Labor With sword
of Damocles overhead, all such officials
will remain on the job for the sake of
!, protecting their own interests and to
staye off as long as they can the in
evitable request for designations.
!. In any event the summer does not
, promise as much official pleasure for
prolonged periods as it has in the days
of abundant revenues and lavish dis
: bursement of government funds