The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-04
MR.. MAC vEAGH IS
VERY BUSY MAN
Runs Treasury Department on
Business Principles
SELLS DOUGLAS HOME
Scene of Many Social I,riumphs,
May soon BE Used for
Factory Purposes

Il
the Treasury MacVeagh these days. but
don't get it into your head that Uncle
Sans chief financier is not a very busy
man. Whatever Mr.. MacVeaghs quail
fcations as a politician may be there is
no doubt that he is a most capable bus
mess man and knows just how even so
big a business as the United States treas
ury department should be run to get the
best results
The phrase business administration for
public Offices is less of standing joke
in Washington. Politics and business are
so closely interviewer that it is practically
impossible TO separate them. So the
treasury department is not run exactly
as Mr. MaeVeagh would run it, perhaps,
if 1t was his own private business He
has nevertheless introduced many inno-
vations which enable him to keep in
touch with all the departments which
call him chief to coordinate the work
and facilitate business. Twice a week
| he has what may be called cabinet
meeting with all the assistant secretaries,
when the entire business of the depart
ment is gone over.
Mr.. MacVeagh has always been a firm
believer in the policy of absolute CO.
operation, from office boy to proprietor.
in any establishment over which he has
had control. Since coming to Washing
ton Mr. MacVeagh has undertaken to
give the Taft plea for economy some
substance and he has therefore applied
such business methods as he and his as
sistants brought into the government ser
vice as would tend to make of the treas
ury department a modern business estab-
lishment.
There are under the jurisdiction of the
treasury department eight divisions and
is other separate offices, each under the
head of a director, chief, superintendent
comptroller, auditor, treasurer, commits
sioner registrar supervising architect or
surgeon-general.
In the crush of daily routine in the
treasury department it was impossible
for Secretary MacVeagh to keep in touch
with all that was going on under the old
system, which provided no means of CO.
operation except that of an occasional
conference between the secretary and one
or more of his subordinates
The Presidents cabinet meets at IL a.
M, on Tuesdays and Fridays of each
week, and until that hour the assistant
secretaries of the treasury are always at
the command of Mr.. MacVeagh, who may
want to see any or all of them on cabinet
business.
After Mr.. MacVeagh has left the de-
partment, however. under the new sys-
tenn now in vogue in the treasury depart
ment. the under-secretaries hold a pre-
limnary treasury cabinet meeting
Each one of them brings up matters I'M
der his immediate supervision which are
of general interest to the entire depart
ment, or upon which he may be In doubt
These matters are discussed in detail for
a few hours on Tuesdays and Fridays of
each week, r. o. Bailey, secretary to Mr.
ap-l1
conferences At the end of the meeting
all of those matters which have been dis
cussed and which 1t is deemed advisable
to bring to the attention of the secretary
himself are gathered together and
briefed, and a copy is sent to each mem
Der of the treasury cabinet and one is
handed over I, to Secretary MacVeagh
when he returns from the regular cabinet
meeting.
Over night. Mr.. MacVeagh acquaints
himself with the contents of this docu-
ment and gathers together his own ideas
on the subjects discussed. On Wednes-
day and Saturday of each week the full
cabinet of the treasury convenes in the
secretary's office al II a. M, and there
the results of the previous days confer
ence are gone over and a final decision
made.
By this system, it can be readily seen,
not only is Secretary MacVeagh kept in
touch with the entire work of his de-
partment. bue each one of his assistants
enjoys a similar privilege, which has not
hitherto been their lot. On moot ques-
tons, in which it is believed the chief of
the bureau or division involved can
throw more light than anybody else, it is
the policy of the treasury cabinet to have
them present. Thus, the machinery of
the treasury department has been brought
into coordination. 1t is more than likely
~ At.
operation in other departments of the
government.
Negotiations probably will be closed in
a few days for the sale of the spacious
old mansion at the Intersection of New
Jersey avenue, Second and | streets,
| northwest, which was built by Stephen
A. Douglas while a member of the United
States Senate, In a section considered at
that time the most fashionable in the
city. Here he brought his bride, Dolly
Curtis, granddaughter of Dolly Madi-
son, and the most famous and the most
beautiful of all that coterie of bellies far
famed in Washingtons antebelum days.
The house soon became the social center
Of the city. 1t was from there that he
launched his candidacy for the presidency
against Lincoln. and it was there that on
that night In 1860. surrounded by a party
Of friends and confident of defeating the
great, lean "rail-splitter," he received the
news of his own defeat, from the effects
of which he never recovered. The Little
Giant" was no more, the great states
man was crushed the famous bon
WANT was wreck. Death soon fol-
| lowed
Mrs. Douglas afterward married Capt.
| Robert Williams a dashing young caval-
ry officer, fresh from the war, and con-
| sidered the beau" of Washington. For
| a. while the house regained its old social
supremacy, but Williams was ordered
west, where, with Custer and Crook, he
soon gained his generally. The house
passed into the hands of Justice Joseph
Bradley of the United States supreme
court. When the Tilden-Hayes contro-
versy arose Bradley was the seventh
| Judge chosen to sit on that famous tri-
bunal, which decided the most acrmon-
ious discussion that ever arose in the
nation. and which for time babe fair
to terminate in call to arms.
| Being the last member of the board.
| Bradley's vote was the deciding one.
| During the trial and after his decision
he was constantly under guard and the
house was protected for many months,
during which time several abortive at
| tempts to harm the aged jurist were
| made
Upon the death of Justice Bradley the
Catholic church bought the property. and
1t was for 10 years the home of the Pope $
delegate in this country. Cardinal Satolli
| lived there for five years, as did also Car
dinal Martinelli. The present legate oc-
clpied it for several years, until in 1908,
he moved to his present home in Biltmore
| street.
The famous old house will probably be
remodelled for factory purposes