The National tribune., 1910-07-21
A MIDSUMMER CALM.
Not a Single Cabinet Officer Now
in/WaShington- Business Run
by Subordinates.


There is great Midsummer calm in
Washington. At one time a few days
ago there was not single Cabinet off
Ger on the job. When that fact was
noted it set many tongue to wagging.
But as matters are progressing there
will apparently be many days between
now and October when no one of the
Departments will be manned by an Off
cial of Cabinet rank. The country has
become used to the idea of long Gov
ernmental vacations, and no one gets
leXcited when the big men of the Gov
ernment start off and have a good time
for two or three months of the hot
fSeaSon. --..-.
The contrast in public sentiment,
| however, is marked. 1t was hardly 40
years ago that Congress undertook to
eensure President Grant for going on a
| little vacation of two OF three weeks.
| The idea prevailed then that Presidents
should take their vacation under the
trees on the White House grounds or
at the little cottage in the Soldiers
! Home grounds. In the earlier days the
Presidents strove to be at their desks
nearly every working day of the year.
President Roosevelt developed the va
| cation idea to its present magnitude,
and apparently the long official vacation
of two or three months has come to
stay
Postmaster General Hitchcock was
one of the last of the Cabinet to quit
the job in Washington. He had expect
ed to stay right there thru much of July
and August, and obtained a lot of ad-
vertising as the man who would sit
upon the lid. But, 10 and behold. one
| fine morning, when folk read their
newspapers at the breakfast table it
was to learn that the Postmaster-Gen
eral was in New York that very mo-
ment, having gone there overnight, and
in a few hours would be aboard big
ocean liner bound for Europe.
Gone to Study Postal Savings Banks.
There is, an impression that Mr..
Hitchcock has gone to Europe in some
part to observe the operations of postal
savings banks. He is Chairman of the
Board of Trustees, that has to do with
the establishment of those banks. There
is quite clamor from the country for
the postal savings banks and the word
went out not long ago that in spite of
all the fuss it would be quite a year
before any post offices were accepting
deposits '...
The President sent word from Bever-
ly that that would not do. He wants
some banks in operation as early as
October, which will be before the cam
paign- is over, and has announced that
a few banks will be actually put into
operation before many weeks have
passed. He has already talked with At
terney-Genera1. WickershanI' about it,
when the latter visited in Beverly a few
days ago, and he has stated his inten-
ton to talk the subject over with Sec
retary of the Treasury Macveagfl when
the latter goes to visit him at Beverly
in the course of couple OF weeks. Post
naSter-GeneraI Hitchcock Is said to
have in mind a thoro study of the Brit
ish system, altho very comprehensive
report on it has been made by CONSUL
General Griffiths at London.
Anyhow, Mr.. Hitchcock has "ducked"
the heat of a Washington Summer
Secretary of the Navy Meyer returned
for few days, after he had taken an
outing at his home in Hamilton, Mass,
but when he had disposed of some busi-
ness which occupied him but two or
three days he. fastened away for sal
mon killing excursion on the Resti-
gnuche River in Canada, Province of
Quebec. The Bureau Chiefs and the
Naval Aids are running the Navy with
little let or hfndrance. Assistant Secre-
tary rBeekman Winthrop is also some
thing of a Summer: rover himself, and
with visits to the navy yards as an ex- 4
cuse for travelling he fs going much up
and down the land where there are
Summer resorts and gay people. Every
little while he slips up toward the North
Shore of Massa chusetts, where he has
lots of friends and occasionally goes
1ver to Hamilton, the home town of
Secretary Meyer. Mr.. Winthrop has a
brother there -
Nearly All in the West
More than a ma ajority Of the Cabinet
are in the West just now. Secretary
Eallinger has reached as far as his
home city of Seattle, but is out inspect
ing" and will not return to Washington
City for many weeks. Uncle fama
Jim Wilson, Secretary Of Agriculture,
has stolen away to his home State of
Iowa and to other parts Of the West for
"a little look around. The Department
of Agriculture is being run by an Act
ing" Secretary, and sometimes he comes
from well down the roster of Bureau
Labor Nagel and Attorney-GeneraI
Wiclershan are whiriing across the
Dominion of Canada. this week on the
way to Alaska. Secretary of War Dick
inson long since passed thru the West,
and has been at YolSahama in recent
days on the way to the Philippines. 1t
is not easy to see just who of the Cabi-
net can be drafted to stay in Washing
ton during the latter part Of July and
the early part of August Secretary
MacVeagh is intent upon having his
Summer at Dublin, N. H, and Secretary
Knox upon staying at Valley Forge,
Pa, and there you are. But it is note
worthy that the Government seems to
be surviving. There is a telegraph wire
set up between Washington and Bever-
| ly, so that all of the Departments can
communicate with the President almost
Iinstantaneously. Under such eifcum-
stances the country is not likely to go
to the bowwOWs