The Detroit times., 1910-12-17
OFFICE SEEKERS
SWARM CAPITOL
Additional Waiting Room Is Provided
To Accommodate Flocks of
"Jobless" Ones,

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. IL
| They have changed the interior ap-
pointments of the white house-the
! internal architecture, so 10 speak--so
| as TO provide a nice, comfortable sub
stitute for the time-honored naviga-
ton of Salt River by politicians who
didn't come back on Nov. s. One of
| the spacious corridors OF the eXecu-
! tive offices has ben converted into an
additional waiting room, 10 accommo-
date an astonishingly increased nun
ber OF callers since the president s
return from Panama.
Some astute individual discovered
| that about 80 per cent of this daily
crowd who sought the presidential
| presence We're lame ducks" seeking
some nice, soft berth to occupy after
March 4. Although this is the open
season for Jobs, so many are the
huntsmen and SO keen the ferver OF
the chase, that the poor hunted
be-ths are nearly all run to cover
Naturally the whit ehouse is the
preserve where the game is thickest.
Energetic huntsmen frequent the
executive offices faithfully. They do
not intend to be far away when the
president lets a job loose
And so ii happens that the list of
waiting callers has been extraordi-
narly augmented during these last
few weeks. A hundred or so job
hunters make a brave showing, but
they have overcrowded the spacious
reception rooms at the executive of
fees, SO that the patriots who have
other business at the white house,
thn
government payroll, get lost in the
shuttle. The "jobbed" ones didn't
like to rub elbows with the tentative.
ly jobless.
So Secretary Charles ID. Norton de-
cided on the architectural arrange
ments above described, in order to
separate the sheep from the goats
Those who call to point out to Presi-
dent Taft their fitness for such-and-
such job, and to recall to his mind
their varied services for the party,
are herded into the new reception
room-which is merely corridor
screened off from the vestibule, nice
ly decorated with chairs and green
palms. This new room has come to
be known definitely as Lame Duck
! Alley"
Senator Thomas Carter, of Mon
/ tana, was the first of the clan of the
soon-to. be- -jobless to occupy the COR
iridor Senator Depew, of New York,
who will be succeeded by a Demo
crat, was another lame duck" among
the first to warm the leather on a
chair In the alley.
Rep. Kennedy, of Ohio, who was
swirled out OF place by that tidal
wave of Nov. s, has been almost a
daily caller. Rep. Cocks, who sue
cumbed with Stimson in New York,
has been on the job. Many other in
Jured members have been much evil
/ dence.
But the saddest blow OF all came
when Rep. Arthur l.. Bates. OF the
Goth Pennsylvania district "breezed"
Into the executive offices abe other
day, still thinking gratefully of the
1,1O0 maioritl with which the CON
stitutients of his district nd express
sed their preference for him over a
Democrat.
Sorry you weren't elected, Bates"
was the greeting he received from a
brother member.
Yes. 1t was too bad" joined in an
other.
Il sympathize with you" added a
third.
But | was reelected replied the
astonished Pennsylvania
We'll, all the news we've read was
that you went down" they replied.
Bates was a bit put out that his
LOO majority hadn't attracted atten-
ton, but he went in to see President
Taft
Bates, certainly shall miss You
next year" condoled the chief execu-
tive. 1T seems too bad to lose you"
But, | am reelected by LOO ma.
jority, shouted Bates. Everywhere /
go somebody sympathizes with me in
my loss. | don't want any sympathy.
want congratulations"
And when Bates emerged. he serv-
ing too great for the state depart
ment officials to bear.
AS things stand now-not mention
ing the diplomats in the foreign ser.
vice, who are guilty of being enor.
mously wealthy-there are a goodlv
number of offenders of this character
right here at home. The secretary
himself can afford to choose between