The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-02-18
THREE PLACES
IN THE CABINET

St. Augustine, Fla, Feb. 17.-With
seven of his ten cabinet appointments
virtually determined, President-elect
Harding and his chief political ad-
visers are sitting over finally the
available material for the portfolios
of navy, commerce and labor.
For the navy post Frank o. Low
den of Illinois still is considered a
possibility, with several others hold
ing an even chance should he finally
decide not to enter the cabinet. Half
dozen names are in the hat for the
secretaryship of commerce, with the
odds seeming to favor a Southern
Republican. The list available for
head of the labor department is ua-
derstood to have narrowed to four
men: John J. Davis of Pennsylvania,
James Duncan of Massachusetts, T Y
O'Conner of New York and Repre-
sentative John I. Nolan, California.
Of the three vacant places, the
navy secretaryship is proving the
most troublesome to fill. In his origi-
nal cabinet slate Nh. Harding is un-
derstood to have allotted this post to
John w. Weeks of Massachusetts, but
various considerations later led to his
transfer to the war portfolio. 1t
now-is regarded as certain that Mr..
Lowden can have the navy appoint
ment if he wants it and there are
many indications of strong pressure
to induce him to accept. In the event
of failure, the whole field of candi-
dates for the position will have to be
opened again, though it is believed
to be very unlikely that Mr.. Weeks
will be among those considered. r.
South in Fine.
The growing wave Of agitation for
Southern representation in the cabi-
net may land a secretary of the navy
from south of the Mason and Dixon
line, but the general impression here
is that it will more likely be felt in
the choice for the secretary of COM
G1erce. The movement is one of the
strongest influences now being
brought to bear on Mr.. Harding's
headquarters here in the main and
had taken the form of bid for Sec
tional representation rather than for
the allotment of any particular place
in the next presidents family of
councillors.
Representative C. Bascom Slemp of
Virginia and T. H. Houston and New
ell Sanders of Tennessee are three of
those most prominently mentioned for
cabinet appointments in the petitions
that are coming to the president
elect. Some of the requests have
mentioned the commerce secretary
ship as a fitting award for the South
because of the present movement for
expansion of Southern industry.
From outside the South have come
many petitions for the appointment
of John Hays Hammond of New York
or Herbert Hoover Of California to
the commerce post. There also has
been talk of Charles D. Hilles of
New York and several others. All
four of those now in the front Of
consideration for the labor secre-
taryship are union men. Mr.. Davis
is former steel worker and now
banker Mr.. Duncan has been an
official of the Granite Cutters union
and of the American Federation of
Labor. Mr.. O'Conner is leader of
the longshoremens' union and Mr..
Nolan is an iron molder by trade.
Particular interest in the labor ap-
pointment was aroused today by a
visit of Mr.. O'Conner to the presi-
dent elect and an announcement
later that they would hold another
conference here next week. In