The Penn's Grove record., 1911-05-19

Will Tic uuJy " uldhihS q
sive examination into the nine execu-
tive departments of the government;
there. are subcommittee either now
at work, or the creation of which Is
| assured. One of these is busy now In
vestigating the fire resisting qualities
of the buildings rented from. private
owners for government use-an In
quiry which causes much anguish OF
mind to many Westinghouse, for
Uncle Sam is the biggest and not the
least liberal tenant at the capital. With
all the colossal public buildings when
adorn the city, there are numerous pri-
vate business blocks tenanted in whole
or in part by government offices.
Appropriations for three new monu-
mental buildings have been made, but
it takes on the average three years TO
complete a government building, be-
cause of adherence to the solid style
of masonry partitions, avoiding the
swifter methods of steel construction.
Steel Trust Probe Certain.
1t is virtually assured that the res
olution for the investigation of the
steel trust will be favorably reported
from the committee on rules soon.
Chairman Henry has been absent from
Washington some days, but assured
the projectors of the resolution that
it would be the first business taken up
on his return. The chances of favor
able action on the resolution were ma
forioJlu inornoSnd Whnn Oscar Trndnr-
wood, Democratic leader in the house,
declared on the floor that the trust
was ~endeavoring to discipline him for
his course on the tariff issue by clos
ing down it's mills in his district and
throwing 5000 men out of employment.
The investigation of this colossal COM
bination of capital will keep a special
committee sitting until at least the
time of the next presidential cam
paign.
Another committee is already en-
gagged Upon the investigation of con-
ditions existing in the United States
civil service. The great army of en-
ployees in government service have
long complained of gross discrimina-
lions, favoritism, coercion, and ever
the use of the third degree" to force
them to give evidence against them
selves or their fellows. The whole
question of the admission of trades or
CARNATIONS in the civil service will
have to be thrashed out.
Gossip of Hearst's Ambition.
AS the clearing house of political in
formation Washington exchanges
many opinions on the chances of
| presidential possibilities, even though
they have no association with the cap
ital. One of the latest bears on the
alleged newly awakened ambitions of
William R. Hearst. The report is that
the strenuous and successful endeav-
ors of Hearst to elect Carter Harrison
mayor of Chicago were based on the
promise of the latter to secure for
Hearst the Illinois delegates to the
Democratic national committee. This
is a story which will not down. I
heard it first in Chicago and put the
question plumply to Harrison himself.
He said that the matter had never
been limited at in his conferences with
the Hearst representatives there. Only
a day or two ago n of Harrison's
warmest supporters, an Illinois n
gresham, returned from Chicago with
the same report. Nevertheless Demo
Gratis here who are apt to see red
when the name of Hearst is men
toned are whispering suspicious and
muttering threats.
But they leave out of consideration
one of the important factors in the
problem, namely, the character OF
Carter Harrison himself. That gentle
man is quite as self-willed, quite as
insistent on the dignity and power of
his position, as is Mr.. Hearst himself.
Mr.. Hearst has money uncountable
and newspapers, the influence o.
which Mayor Harrison cheerfully &C
knowledged the day after election.
But Harrison has been elected mayor
Of Chicago five times, while Mr..
Hearst has no such record of achieve
ment. This is not the fault of the
latter, as despite a disastrous recount
the feeling that he was elected mayor
of New York is still very general. But
it is a reason why Mayor Harrison's
friends in Illinois, when the question
of selecting delegates comes up,
should ask him to speak for himself.
Bad Luck in Diplomacy.
The administration has been rather
luckless in it's diplomacy of late and
n hears about the hotels and the
capitol rather caustic remarks about
the diplomacy of Secretary Knox as
compared with that of former Secre-
tary Root. The case of Charles r.
Crane, recalled as he was about to
take ship for his post in China, Is
still fresh in the political mind and
still unexplained. Not long ago Bou-
tell of Illinois, n of the Tame
ducks" was commissioned to Portu-
gal and recalled when he had scarce
ly reached his post. Why? Those
who know won't tell. The state de-
partment is as silent as Billy" Lori
mer was until the senate investigation
forced him to begin talking.
If Washington rumor is well found
ed, the administration is about to in
vite another diplomatic disaster. The
sudden call to Washington of ex-Sen'
ator Beveridge from Canada, where
he was industriously gathering mate
rial for weekly paper articles, is ex
planned on the theory that he is to be
given the embassy to Berlin. Now, II
there is one quality in the world lack
ing to Beveridge it is that of diplo
macy. He is eloquent, conscientious
brave when necessary, but diplomatic
never. He was unpopular with his
colleagues, slow to make new friends
and swift to lose old ones. The rumol
may be incorrect, but if it proves tc
be the fact the senate will stand
aghast. Probably there will be nc
trouble about his confirmation, bu'
there will be an undercurrent of bitter
criticism.