The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-12
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENTS
WILL HUM WITH ACTIVITY
Presidents Return Will Result in Increased
Speed on Annual Reports. Much
Awaiting Taft.

especially of the interior department.
a contract was drawn, providing for
the construction of dam at the foot
of the lake, defining power rights in
the water and SO forth. But it caused
tremendous protest. which was for
warded to President Taft.
Secretary Ballinger has been to Lake
Tahoe and studied the problem at
first hand. He came away with com
! prehensive notes. He has done like
! wise in scores of other instances When
| he is back again at his desk, he ex-
poets to dispose of lot of business
speedily and to have many matters in
shape for presentation at the cabinet
meetings.
! For the biweekly sessions of the cabi-
net will be resumed as soon as the
President is in Washington again. For
a while there will probably be many
meetings between the President and
individuals of his cabinet, that he may
! familiariZe himself with what has been
going on. When he left Beverly, the
President was we'll up with what the
nine executive departments were do
ing. Since then he has seen Secretary
of War Dickinson, Secretary of the In
terror Ballinger, Postmaster General
Hitchcock, and Secretary of Commerce
and Labor Nagel. He used to say at
Beverly that he felt like his hand was
not firmly on the helm when he was
away from Washington, for which rea-
son he was especially glad to see cabi-
net officials.
The President S secretary, Mr.. Car
penter, of course, is keeping him inform
ed about what is going on in Wash
ington. But this information is neees-
sarily skeletonized The President is
so busy with local committees that he
has no time to spare for big budget
of Washington news unless it pertain
to questions of pressing Importance.
Doubt exists here whether once the
President has returned from his long
to Panama He said some time ago
that he wanted to 60 there, either in
tour, he will care to take the journey
November, before congress convenes, or
in December during the holidays. The
trip would consume approximately three
weeks. If taken during the holidays,
it would necessitate the President being
out of town when congress is in session.
Presidents have invariably avoided be-
ing absent for any considerable periods
when congress is sitting. Custom pre-
scribes that the President shall be in
the city for the New Year s reception.
The holiday recess never lasts more
than two weeks. AS congress meets
this year, December 6, the President
will have only about three weeks in
Washington before that date. He is
scheduled to arrive here November TO-
But he must necessarily give attention
| to considerable public business before
December. There must be legislative
conferences with senators and represen-
tatives. The President must also write
his annual message, although the ideas
for it are supposed to have been pretty
thoroughly defined in the course of his
western speechmaking.
! Neither is it thought at all likely
that the President will make a visit
to the Philippines next year. The peo-
pie would not assent to such a prolong-
ed absence from the mainland as that
, trip would involve. 1t is said here that
the President never seriously considered
it but threw out the suggestion in the
course of conversation. He is enthu-
siastic about travel trips and looks
ahead to opportunities for long jour
neys. Nevertheless, the present tour
will probably be the longest of any that
President Taft takes during his present
administration. Every President in
recent years has taken one very long
trip to get better acquainted with the
people. President Taft will probably
travel much during the next three years
but in all likelihood bis trips will be
comparatively short o1es
Not the least of the President 5 tasks
during the crowded days, following his
return to Washington. will be his con
situations with Acknowledgement Wick
ersham and other lawyer members of
] his cabinet over the divers bills en-
bOdying the legislative ideas he has
advocated on his trip. There must be
many talks over these bills. not only
between the President and the Attor-
ney-General, but around the cabinet
table.
The extensive retrenchment program,
much emphasized in the early months
of the administration. will call for some
of the Presidents time prior to the
meeting of congress. Secretary Of the
treasury MACY ea5h mas iHaI III manu-.
Il will be feature Of his annual re-
port. Nevertheless il is such q compre
benslve matter that the President and
all has cabinet are concerned with its
development.
Almost as soon as the President 5
trip IS over, the campaign for the new
financial legislation viii be started up
This viii not be with view 10 action
this winter but for the purpose Of edu-
eating the country to the propositions
for central bank and other fiscal
plans. Within a couple Of weeks. ex-
perts and others, who have been travel
ing in Europe this autumn gathering
information about banks and banking,
viii be back. One Of these is Senator
AIdrlch, who is expected 70 start on
long circuit Of the principal cites 10
explain what the monetary commission
= doing. The senator laughed al the
suggestion last summer but the Presi- |
dent has now announced the tour and