The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-11-26
DISTRIBUTION OF PATRONAGE
: nder President Wilson-What Pa-
 tronage He Will Have.
(By Clyde H. Tavener.)

CBy Clyde H. Tavener)
 Washington. Nov. 26.-Everybody wants to know about the distribution of Patronage under the new admins tration- Every member of Congress of Democratic faith is receiving in- quiries and applications by the hun dred.
 l came on to Washington at an earlier date than intended, to try to discover the prospects of what will be done in general way. but have found out nothing valuable or tam gible. There is much guessing and newspaper talk; but that is all. All things concerning the distribution of patronage are up in the air, so to speak. President Elect Wilson, who is resting in Bermuda, has not, so far as is generally known, given any in dication onf his intention on this sub- ject. Nothing definite will be known until he speaks.
 The only things certain at this writing are:
 1. President Taft has by executive order placed all the 4th class post masters under the Civil Service, that is all postmasters drawing less than 1000 per annum. This means that the present 4th class postmasterS will hold for life, or during good beha- vior, unless President Wilson revolSes President Taft's order. Whether he will revoke it nobody knows.
 2. Most of the places worth hav- ing except those which have to be confirmed by the Senate have been for some time under civil service. This greatly lessens the number of posi- tions formerly available.
 8. For twenty years the custom has been for federal officials appoint ed for four years. such as postnlas- ters. U. S. Marshals, etc., to serve out their terms unless they took part Tn politics during their terms. Whether this custom will be continuend 1t IS i'm mpossible to say.
 4. President Taft Is said to have declared his intention to fill all vacan- cies as soon as they occur. But whether the Senate will confirm hls appointees, or hold up their nomin- ations, it is impossible to even guess.
 5. The custom has been for the patronage of any particular state to be distributed through the Senat DTS and Representatives thereof who are of the same political persuasion as the administration. if any such there be, and If none such, then through the national committeeman or some de- pendable friend or friends. Under that arrangement Representatives are depended upon to recommend post masters in their own districts while
 
 ommend postmasters in Congression- al districts not represented by Con- gressmen of the same political faith as the President. Senators are also depended upon to recommend for marshalships and offices of that kind, including departmental positions and places in the consular and diplomatic service and in fact all offices not To- cal. Of course, as a rule, the Sena- tors, consult with Representatives in these matters, all trying to do the most possible for their constituents
 6. What scheme for selecting post lnas sters, etc, President Wilson and his Cabinet may adopt is wholly conjec-I turaI Some advocate one plan and some another. Consequently it might be best for those intending to be ap- plicants to let matters rest until the situation clears up somewhat; but where one or more aspirants for a particular place start in to secure signers to petitions, recommendations etc, it might be wise for all aspi- rants to do so too. It has been figured out by some of the newspaper correspondents in the national capital that MT. Wilson, when he enters the White House on March 4. will find that he has the power to fill directly 1O,s39 government posi- tions. They declare the appointive places requiring confirmation are di- vided as follows:
 Depart1nents-State, Al; Treasury. 7s6; War (exc1uding army) 6; Jus tice. 383; Postoffice, 1858; Navy ex- cluding officers) II; Interior, 272; 8; Commerce and Labor (exciuding census)- 2S; Civil Service 4: government printing office, I; Interstate Commerce Com mission. 2; and Library of Congress, 1.
 The places not requiring confirma- ton by the Senate are thus divided:
 Departments-Stat 94; Justice. s46. Interior, A; Commerce. 8; Civ il Service Commission, I.