The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1911-03-23
THE EXTRA SESSION.
Nobody Outside the Capitol Civ.
ing Much Thought to 1t Yet. Z

TNODOuy OutSluc TIC OdpltOl WV
ing Much Thought to 1t Yet. :
| No one around Washington gives
much thought to the proximity of the
extra session. Aitho right in the mid
die of March. it is none the less vaca-
ton period. There is a lot of talk about
what a little group of men are doing up
at the Capitol. 1t is hard to find them
at the Capitol, and harder still to find
out for certain what they have been
doing. That Is because the Democrats
of the Ways and Means Committee, who
are also the Committee on Committees
of the House, are proceeding with the
greatest caution They are willing to
define no policies, because they propose
to wait till the Democratic caucus has
met in early April, and submit their
plans and program to that body for APP
prevail or disapproval. r
But tie old town will take on new
life soon. With the conclusion Of the
Presidents vacation in the South men,
bers of the Cabinet will come fiocking
back to the Capital by the Potomac.
Folks will come to Washington orce
again on the usual diversity Of erran ds.
There will be daily throngs at the
White House offices. and Washington
will seem once more like the Capital OF
the United States.
What Are the Democrats Going TO Do?
The burning question. "Whar are the
Democrats going to do?" remains UNI
answered. and apparently no one will
be able to say for the present. So few
of them remain, In Washington that 1t
is impossible to gather much about the
party sentiment. A goOdly number OF
new Democratic members. whose optn-
ions cannot be ignored entirely in the
present situation. are not here at all,
and will not be for quite q week. By
the end Of that time the prospective
caucus and the desire to get located a
few days in advance of the session and
to sound" for opinions, will bring a
considerable e contingent upon the
ground Speaker Champ Clark is also
expected back in about 10 days from
his lecture tour. 4e-G @
According to the best information
obtairaable there have been several
changes in program already. At first 1t
was intended to attach the Canadian
reciprocity bill upon revision of the
wool and wooden schedules, but the best
Judgment of the party now seems to be
against that. Plans have been pretty
well defined for a thoro overhauling OF
the Departments, but after all no spe-
cific plans for that have been SCI forth.
Many of those matters will hardly be
fully matured till after the Democratic
caucus
The Committee on Committees has
settled one important controversy by
designating Representative John J.
Fitzgerald, of Brooklyn, as Chairman of
Appropriations. The opponents of Tam
many Hall fought this, but the COM
mittee could not get away from the fact
that by reason of seniority of service,
1t IxsIt y,ya -.
and his experience with appropriations,
the place should go to Mr.. Fitzgerald.
His support of Speaker Clark is needed.
and his designation as Appropriations
Chairman makes n certain the Speaker
will have his support. 80
Investigating the Treasury Department.
Supporters of the old regime in the
Treasury Department are preparing to
run to the Democratic Congress with
loud complaints They have no liking
for Secretary MacVeagh. who has been
instituting reforms in the transaction
of public business there and allowing
expert accountants at S25 a day to roam
thru the divers Bureaus and Divisions.
Possibly some of the old-style Repub-
licans of Congress would not view with
displeasure any discontinue TO which
the Secretary might be subjected be-
cause of Democratic inquiry. The
great Republican pillars of the Senate
Finance Committee have been none too
friendly to Secretary Macveagh, be-
cause he hardly speaks the language of
their clan. They have had powerful
infiuencesin Treasury matters for the
last Is years. and as their recommends
ton has been essential to the confirma-
ton not only of the Secretary of the
Treasury, but of Assistant Secretaries
and numerous other Treasury officials,
it has been no easy matter to proceed
in Treasury administration independ-
emily of them. -
Then, Mr.. Norton, now Secretary to
the President, Is accredited with insti-
eating the activities of expert account
ants and other investigators in the
Treasury Department, when he was an
Assistant Secretary there, and certain
critics seem to reason that while the
theory Of the activities is well enough
these have not been on a practical ba-
sis, and would like to see committee
of Democratic congressman, clothed
with authority. open the books and
show what has been done.
Unless it be the State Department, no
other Departtfent of the Government
traditions nd$pEecedents as the Treas
ury. Thei Wal: department is supposed
to be the horie 3of red tape bun as
matter OH facE5tHe Treasury could we'll
claim thdShOnaf:N The idea of red tape.
of courseA Is % safeguard the Govern
mcnts INTERESTS and establish checks
against irregulaE proceedings by indi-
Sidual officials:
Vast Hhseal ana financial operations
are coHdbcteds by the Treasury, and
very ipkHats msthods of doing bust
ness hS Rnx sbeen in vogue there.
This is pefialIX true of particular di-
visions y Faye 70 do with the issuing
and haA@inE NE currency and bonds.
The DepartnieHt is manned by many
old timers, who are very jealous about
the performance. of these duties along
very exact lines. They are inclined to
resist innovations and modern business
methods. Any officials who attempt re-
FERNS meet resistance at every step in
countless ways.
Secretary Norton won his reputation
as fnancier while manager OF a big
insurance company in Chicago. and the
experts he brought on here were men
of whom he had known while resident
of the Windy City. Secretary Mac
Veagh, who brought him to the Treas
ury- Departmept. was. as is well known