The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-03
Taft Appoints PinchOt's s
 Friend to Important Place
ENDORSEMENT UNANIMOUS
Alike Favored Holmes for the PIaee-New Methods Will
 Be Introduced

Beverly, Mass, September 2.-Pres- ident Taft tonight announced the ap- pointment of Joseph Austin Holmes of the geological survey as director of the new bureau of mines at Washing ton Dr. Holmes had been selected for the place some time ago, but his appointment was held up, it is under stood here, on the grounds that Sec retary Ballinger. under whose depart ment the new bureau is placed, was op posed to him. MT. Holmes is the in- timate personal friend of Clifford Pin chot, James R. Garfield and F. IL. Newell director of the reclamation ser vice, all three of whom sharply crit icised MT. Ballinger on the witness stand in the Ballinger- -Pinchot investi- gation.
 It was reported here that Secretary Ballinger felt that Dr. Holmes might have had a hand in what he termed the conspiracy" against him. Friends of pr. Holmes, while admitting the tat ter's close association and friendship with Messrs. Pinchot, Garfield and Newell declared nevertheless that he had taken no active part in the cam paign against MT. Ballinger.
 tThe indorsement of pr. Holmes for the place was almost unanimous. It came from the mine. operators and the miners organizations alike. The pur- pose of the new bureau is to investi- gate and report upon safety appliances to prevent waste of life.
 Improvement of Method
 The bureau will also make an in vestigation looking to the improve ment of methods of mining.
 pr. Holmes Is a native of South Car olina. For ten years he was presl- dent of geology and natural history at the University of North Carolina and from 1891 to 1904 was state geologist of North Carolina. A staff of engineers and experts will be transferred with Dr. Holmes from the geological sur vey to the bureau of mines. George Otis Smith. director of the geological survey. has been acting as director
 
 pointment by the President.
 Civil Service Extension
 President Taft is contemplating and probably will issue soon after his re- turn to Washington from Beverly an executive order putting all assistant postmasters and the permanent clerks at money order postoffices under the vi DAc Hitchcock recommended this step to the President some time ago and he has been considering it. Today the President talked the matter over with President Dana of the National Service Reform league
 President Taft will take the matter up with his cabinet the latter part of this month and finally dispose of it. Presi- cent Taft has a long list of matters to take up with his cabinet advisers. He will reach Washington September 21 for ten days stay and the cabinet will be in session September %, 27 and 2S All the members of the cabinet whose families are still out of town will be the Presidents guests at a stag party at the White House. One of the princi- pal subjects to be discussed will be the forthcoming appointments to the United States supreme court. MT Taft will have to fill the vacancies created by the death of Chief Justice Fuller and the pros pective retirement of Associate Justice Moody.
 It seems pretty well settled that Gov ernor Hughes of New York, who already has been confirmed as an associate jus tice, will be designated as chief justice This will leave two associate justices to be appointed. The President stated again today that 1t was not his purpose to call an extraordinary session of the Senate to confirm the appointments. They will wait until the regular session of Con gress begins.
 Postal Savings Banks
 President Taft will also take up with his cabinet in Washington the final plans for putting the postal savings banks in operation. He will discuss the estimates for the coming fiscal year with the heads of the departments and will try to hold them down wherever possible The econ omy plans for conducting the various de- partments and the best means of using the $10000O appropriation for the improve ment of business methods also will be discussed. There Is little or no chance that MT. Taft will make any speeches during the coming campaign. He has declared that his letter to Chairman Me Kinley of the republican congressional committee accurately states all that he has to say of the issues. The Presi- dent will speak before the National League of Republican Clubs in New York city September 50, along general lines.
 Gen. Leonard Wood, chief of staff of the army, talked with the President for several hours today regarding estimates for the army. Oddly enough, Gen. Nell son A. Miles. formerly commanding gen. eral of the army, also called on the President today. General Miles is visit Ing friends at Swampscott and his visit was purely social.
 Foster F. Brown of Tennessee, attorney general of Porto Rico, took up several matters affecting that island with the President. He also discussed the polit- ical situation in Tennessee