New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-01-07

dozen of these nominations will be
sanctioned. This mean that appoint
ments to Offices the terms of whose
incumbents have expired, and the pro-
motions of hundreds of army and
navy officers will be held up or actual
ly nullifed until after the present ad-
ministration passes from Washington
life.
So far as the army and navy pro-
motions are concerned, action. OF
course, on the men whose names have
been sent to the senate will be taken
later. In the majority of it
probably will be positive action, but In
some of them 1t PROFESSIONALLY will
be negative. for the charge rightly or
wrongly has been entered that a good
many of these promotions were in
spired by favoritism. Officers of long
service have quietly entered protest
against the promotion over their heads
of many of their Juniors.
In the cases of judges, a few minis
tiers to foreign countries, a good many
consuls, postmasters and revenue Of
ficials, the men named nay never en-
ter upon their duties, although per-
haps on the strength Of recess appoint
ments they will so enter and continue
to work until their cases are consid-
cred by the senate some time In next
March when President-elect Harding
takes hold of office.
Assistant Secretaries to Be Named.
When the new cabinet officers are
appointed there will be named new as
sistant secretaries for all the depart
ments, although there are three or four
assistant secretaries who have been SO
long In the service that their expert
ence and knowledge are necessary to
any administration, and they probably
will be given a longer lease of life.
The positions of assistant secretaries
Of state, war, navy, treasury, and Of
all the other cabinet offices are OF ex-
ceeding importance. and yet the Unit
ed States government pays these as
sistants salaries only equal to those
which are given to chief b~oOkkeepers
In comparatively small commercial
concerns. Nevertheless there is a de-
mand for these places because of the
prestige which they carry.
An assistant secretary I'm the War
department. or In any other depart
ment, occasionally has the opportunity
TO act as chief Of his department In
the absence Of the cabinet official.
OF course an assistant secretary new
er undertakes to act On any great
matter of state when his chief is abb
sent, but it Is something for a sccre-
tory to say In after years that for
three weeks he was acting secretary Of
war, or acting secretary of the treas
ury, or acting secretary Of something
else.
The interstate commerce commits
sioners and the members of some 9TH
er boards and commissions Of govern
ment are appointed for fixed terms.
Under the law some of these commits
sions and other bodies must contain
IL ttllull percentage VI ihihoiity BoAis
members. In other words, there must
be both Republicans and Democrats
on the boards, the majority generally
to be determined by the political com
plexion Of the administration in pow
er. 1t generally is estimated that 1t
takes two years after a LEI admins
tratl0n has ONE In to complete the
changes In the various important com.
missions which will give the control
ling majority into the hands Of the
dominant political party.
Treasury Jobs In Demand.
Positions of assistant secretary In
the Treasury are much sought for by
young men who have knowledge Of
financial conditions and who know
that such Treasury places lead TO
places Of high financial responsibility
In the commercial world. There are
five assistant secretaryships in the
Treasury department, and one place
held by a man who Is called assist
ant to the secretary" This makes six
pluCtS WHICH III lHc pdSt huNc pioNNu
to be in many instances stepping
stones to high paying and important
positions In the banking world when
the assistant secretaries had com
pleted their Washington work.
There will, of course, be changes In
the am~bassadorlal groups when Presi-
dent-elect Harding takes Office. At
tempts have been made time and again
to do something which would allow
able men who have no wealth to take
these high places. Nothing yet has
been done to bring this about. AS
things are now no man unless he Is a
millionaire can aspire to the place Of
ambassador to Great Britain, to
France, to Italy, or TO any other great
nation. 1t is said that the American
ambassadors to these countries are
compelled TO spend 100000 a year
each TO maintain their positions. Their
salaries are less than one-fifth of this
SUN.
.A L. n