The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-05-28
Especial to Caldwell Tribune

|
ming the business of the government.
An order of the Treasury Depart
mcnt, just issued, compels more than
! 1000 employees, Custodians' Corps, to
take an enforced furlough of eight
days without pay between now and
the first of July because there is no
money to pay them
This order will affect ASS persons;
and by far the larger part of them are
women, who earn their living by mop
ping floors and cleaning rooms in the
federal buildings in 800 cities scat
tered all over the country. These wo-
men earn about $50 a month, and the
loss OF eight days pay will be a
grievious hardship to them. Some
men are also affected by this invol-
untary vacation, the highest paid of
them being the Chief of the Custodian
ceives a salary of $500 a year.
The order bears the signature of
Assistant Secretary Byron Newton,
who says, by way Of explanation, that
Congress to blame. He asks the
Democrats at the Capitol to give him
| $2,8OO,OOO for this work and they
gave him only $2,650,0O0
1t is suggested here that the Demo-
Gratis have never regarded cleanliness
as next to goodness and that their
failure to appropriate money for the
scrubbing of floors is in line with an
clent party tradition. But it is equal
ly significant that the Treasury De
partment, regardless of Congressional
action, seems to have plenty of time
to hire expensive lawyers to defend
| John Shelton Williams against the
lawsuit instituted by the Riggs Bank
| I
reported to be getting $4,000 fees for
their services in this case The motto
Of the Treausry Department evidently
is: Thousands for defense but not a
red for decency.
The President has refused to fur
nish the Industrial Relations Com
mission with the correspondence that
he had with Governor Ammons of
Colorado regarding the strike in the
coal regions of that state; and it is
limited that Mr. Wilson is seriously
displeased with the farcial manner in
which Chairman Walsh has carried on
the work of the Commission.
1t IS doubtful, however, if the pres
ldentlal displeasure will reach any
very effective result. Chairman Walsh
long ago demonstrated his unfitness
Tor the place which he occupies and
he a ready has heavily discounted any
conclusions which the Commission
may report by his constant habit of
preJudglng the testimony of witnesses
whom he has summoned to appear.
he complaints against the Commits
SONS procedure have been numerous,
and some that have reached the White
House have come from sources which
may not be readily ignored. The
| President &c known bou,oyar
keen interest in the Commission's
personnel and it is most unlikely that
he viii resort to the obvious method
OF discipllning Walsh by the abolish
ment OF the board. Walsh has bro
ther who is Senator from Montana.
and the experience with the ship pur-
chase bill shows that the White il ouse
cannot afford to ALLEVIATE the support
OF any more senators on the Demo
cratic side of the chamber
Nimble-witted naval officers who
discuss Secretary Daniels letter on
the preparedness of the NAVY. are
cauSuc IN their comment One of
them SAID to another, why didn't the
secretary go further in his list of
war material in readiness? He could
nave pointed that in himself the navy
mas an eHcctiye supply of that most
modern OF offensive munitions. the
gas bomb" Yes" assented the Other
and added But isn't Daniels really
to be classed under the head Of obsol-
etc smoothborcS2
he hrst requisite of a good man
ager OF any large business is ability
To select competent assistants No
matter how able the manager, the en-
terprlse cannot succeed if for any rea-
son the subordinatcs are not fitted for
the positions to which they are assign
ed. Herein is the key to the failure of
the Wilson administration. Having
mad no business experience himself |
the President should have made spec
ial ehort 10 secure the assistance of |
men OF large experience in handling |
important affairs. But with one or !
TWO exceptions, his cabinet appoint |
lnentS were monumental mistakes
any business man of ordinary exper-
fence, any country store kccDer CON
tractor, or country banker. haying n
hs command, as the President doe
every citizen OF the United States
could have taken two weeks to study
the situation and then made a far
better selection than was made nv
PRESIDENT Wilson. 1t is evident that
the President himself realizes b;s
biundcT for whenever some problem
OF real importance arises, he takes
personal charge of it or authorizes
the employment OF an expensive corns
OF special counsel. But the captain
OF the team cannot escape responsible
MY lie had absolute control over
the selection Of his cabinet. and their
proves his own inca
Paeity as the manager of the largest
business concern in the worId2tbe
United States government.
Miss Vivian Robertson who return