The National tribune., 1909-03-18

| is scarcely q necessity. Mrs. Taft un.
derstands the requirements of her po.
sition; and she knows how to carry
them out without being told She, OF
course, needs a Private Secretary, and
in Miss Alice Blech she will have a good
| one. The Social Secretary of the White
House has been very much in evidence
| during the Roosevelt Administration,
and unless you could pass muster be-
| fore her you We're not so very much in
it. She poured tea at the afternoons OF
Mrs. Roosevelt. and at state receptions
danced with all the men who had no
partners. The duties were arduous, and
| she performed them very well, indeed
But 'we-alr' don't know whether we
will like the colored buffers and the
lhousekeeper or not; but that probably
will not make any difference to the
Tafts.
At an informal dinner given 10 Judge
John J. Jenkins, Chairman of the llouse
| Committee on Judiciary, just before
Congress closed. he was presented with
a handsome silver punch bowl by the
members of his committee. The bowl
is of sterling silver, mounted on an
ebony case. On one side is the inscrip-
ton:
To Hon. John J. Jenkins, of Wiscon-
sin. Chairman of the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representa-
tives, as a token of appreciation of the
industry, ability and courteous consid-
Grafton by which he has won the af-
fectionate regard of his associates on
the committee in the Goth Congress"
On the reverse side appear the names
of the members Of the committee, VINO
are Richard Wayne Parker, of New
Jersey; De Alva S. Alexander. OF New
York; Charles @. Tirrell, of Massachu-
setts; John a. Stirling, of Illinois; John
H.. Foster, OF Indiana; Henry 7. Ban
non, of Ohio; Reuben O. Moon, of Penn
syIvania; Gerrit ]. Diekema, of Slicni-
gan: George r. Malby. of New York;
Henry S. Caulfield. of Missouri: Edwin
w. Higgins of Connecticut; David ~
De Almond, of Missouri; Henry d.
Clayton, of Alabama; Pobe:t L. Henry,
of Texas; William G. Brantiey, of Ger
gia; Charles C. Reid. of Arkansas; Ed
win Y. Webb, of North Carolina.
Judge Jenkins was retired from Con-
gress at the last election, having been
defeated for reelection.
Somebody cooked up stheme
whereby it was stated that Mrs. Car
mack, wife of the late Senator Car
mack, of Tennessee, who was murdered
by some member of the Cooper family
few months ago. WAS 10 be appointed
Postmistress of Columbia by President
Taft. President Taft states that he has
not thought of the matter at all, and,
except in the press, mas not had it sug-
gested to him.
Eight of the finest vessels of the
United States Navy will take part in
the opening ceremonies of the Alaskan
Yukon-Pacific Exposition 1T Seattle.
These are: Armored cruisers West Vir-
ginia, Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylva-
MIA, Tennessee. California, South Dahc-
ia, Washington. They comprise the
first squadron of the United States Pa
cific fleet, commanded by Rear-Admi
William T. Swinburne. This squadron
has just completed practice cruise to
the northwest coast of South America,
and is now working its -way up me
west coast. Nearly all of the vessels
are now at ports in Central America.
The orders for this large aggregation
of warships to take part in the Alas
kan-Yukon-Pacific Exposition were is
sued recently by Secretary Meyer by
direction of Presi1e1t raft. According
to tIis order. the squadron will arrive
at S1attle. Wash, by May 80. in time
for the opening ceremonies, and Will
remain there until June s.
Government employees are not per-
mitted by the Civil Service laws to take
up collections or to give for any present
to Chiefs and heads of Bureaus; but
just the same there is always i good
deal of present giving being done by
the associates of somebody in office.
The last and handsomest present was
a solid silver loving cup Of splendid di-
mensions, which was given Secretary
of the Treasury Cortelyou on his retir-
| ing from office, the present coming from
| his associates" in Office.
Senator Bacon, of Georgia. and ex-
! n
Tennessee, are both victims of inaugural
weather. Senator Bacon has just es-
capped pneumonia. but is quite i'll. and
| Mr.. Gaines has one of the worst attacks
of grip on record.
Mr.. Frank s. Wiborg. said to be the
handsomest man in Ohio, and who
halls from Cincinnati, has been ap-
pointed Assistant Secretary of Com
merce and Labor. Mr.. Wiborg is one
| of the best business men in the country,
it is said, and is Treasurer of the Ma
tional Council of Commerce.
! The Presidents plan to increase the
power of the Bureau of Corporations in
| the Department of Commerce and La
Dor means that this Department will as
sumo under the Taft Administration a
greater Importance than il has before
| had. II also means that upon the poll
cies and acts of the Department the
| welfare or the countryS business Will
largely depend. At its head is Charles
Nagel, famed as lawyer.
| Secretary Knox has taken up with
Embassador Bryce negotiations of the
pecuniary claims treaty between Great
| Britain and the United States, and will
probably come to an agreement next
| week or shortly afterward.
The treaty is the last of the three
undertaken by Secretary Root to dis
pose of, questions growing out OF tht
relations between the United States and
Canada, and provides for the settlement
of claims in connection with the New
foundland fisheries.
1t will be the first treaty to be con-
cluded by Secretary Knox.
The first formal reception of the Tafts
was that given at o'clock Friday after.
noon to the Diplomatic Corps. Tn,
men were in their diplomatic uniforms
with all their glittering decorations, ant
the women were gowned regardless
President and Mrs. Taft received alon,
in the Blue Room. Mrs. Taft wore pinl
satin and white lace. Tea and sweets
were served in the state dining room.
The new Surgeon to the President i
j his assistant will be Capt Mathew A
Delaney, L. S. Army. They will hav
charge of the hygiene of the Whit
House, besides being the family physi
, clans of the Taft family, replacing Dr.