The Prescott daily news., 1913-03-26
cOUNSELS OFTEN WITH BRYAN
UT. Houston and Franklin K. Lane Inspire Confidence in Their Ability to Conduct Their Departments saneiy and Successfully.
By GEORGE CLINTON.


 doubt as to tho wisdom of his inten- tions. One thing members of congress arc admitting today without any reser- vation and that Is that Mr. Wilson is the chief man in his cabinet" and that while he seeks and accepts ad- vice, his own Judgment when formed is made to be final.
 There arc some things which occur at the presidents council table which are not kept as solemn secrets MT. Wilson seems to hit 1t ofr'' with the members of his official family. They say that he is modest with his opin- ions, that he listens readily and urges speech In order that he may listen. and then then, weighing the foTs and the againsts. he gives his own tudg- ment in way which makes his table companions know that t Is to stand: Ordinarily cabinet officials do not talk freely about the man who site at the head of the table. It may be that some of the present members of the advisory board have been moved to speech by sheer force of surprise. It would be ungrateful to say that tho cabinet members dia nce expect to find in Mir. Wilson the qualities which they have found In him. It 10 the truth that most of them did not know him we'll and naturally. they say, they had no realization of the forces which lay within him and which now they say they have found
 It has been rumored about Washing ton for two or three days that MT. Bryan was going to take unto himself authority in matters not within the scope of the state department Mir. Bryan's friends say these rumors arc libels. that he intends to advise when his advice is asked, and otherwise to l stick strictly to the duties of state. MT. Wilson Is counselling with MT. Bryan oftener than he Is counselling individ- ually with other members of his cab inet. but this everybody accepts as the most natural thing possible, for the president and the secretary have many policies fin common and 1t is these
 
 work out to their logical legislative conclusion.
 Houston Fits His Position. It Is not hard now for officials in Washington to understand why 1t was that MT Wilson chose such a man as pr. Houston for his secretary of agri- IL 1I,t,o 1kk ,v, h lie life, and who had the farmer claim to the position Most things today in the department of agriculture are specialized A man may have been a farmer all his life, know all about crops, stock and other things rural. and yet find himself utterly lost Tn the lanes of governmental activi- ties in the department of agriculture.
 There were two or three men men toned for the position and all of them were better known to the coun- try generally than was the man who finally was called. Every one Of those suggested as likely of choice was known as a farmer It is not likely. the Democrats say. that any one Of them could have taken up with thor ough understanding the reports of the bureau of plant industry, of the bio logical survey, of the forestry bureau, the bureau of soils, or the bureau of chemistry and have read them under standingly. and with knowledge enough to make 5udicious comment thereon and suggestions for improve ment. The secretary of agriculture today has to be specialist as well as farmer.
 Lane Inspires Confidence.
 The department of the interior Is today place of specialization. Frank lin K. Lane. like some of the other members of MT. Wilson's cabinet, is an idealist, but he has done enough work. 1t Is said, to show that he spends little time in dreaming. The federal conservationists. including even Clifford Pinchot. say that they have every confidence in Secretary Lane" The conservationists of this school have looked into MT Lanes work record and speech record. They know that he Is believer Tn the states rights theory, but that he knows when a condition rather than theory confronts him. Not long ago I heard MT Lane make speech. That speech never was reported and never will be, but 1t was the most eanely and yet actively progressive speech that have ever heard any , man save one make.
 There Is to be no