The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-08-23
POPE Plus Nj IS
REAL VATICAN HEAD
Feels Himself Perfectly Competent to
Rule Over His Domain, .


Rome, Aug. 1S.-,A fresh and search
, ing wind of inquiry and reorganization
is blowing through the vatican with
the advent of the new pope, and some
OF the old established dependents of
the palace, who are very numerous,
md 1t altogether too bracing ne
pleasant. Plus nj comes of a pl uti-
cal and prosperous bourgeois stock,
and feels himself perfectly competent
TO look into even the smallest details
OF the vast organization of which he
| is the head
The pontiff. while adhcrng on state
and ceremonial occasions to all the
Domp and spcndor which is tradition
al in the basilica of ST. Peter and the
vatican palace, desires that his pri-
vate life be ruled by a truly apostolic
simplicity and frugality, and he is re-
ported to have said that he intends
to spend money rather on the propa-
cation of the faith than on the restora-
ton or bcautifying of buildings and
monuments.
In Italian households, humble or
aristocratic, the cook buys all that is
necessary for the feeding of the fam
lily, and good housewives usually go
through the cooks accounts every
day in order to keep check Of them.
1t appears that his holiness does the
same. 1t is related that the other day
a fowl, price 20 lire (rathcr less than
a dollaD, was provided for the pope's
supper. For some reason he did not
eat it, and orders were given that
the following day the cook make
chicken croquettes for lunch The
croqucttcs duly arrived, but when the
accounts were looked through IN the
evening it was found that another
fowl, price 20 lire. had been charged
in the cooks book The cook was
called in and had his head washed"
which is the quaint Roman express
sion for getting Il good scoding, and
the pope told him he has no use for
any servant who was not strictly
honest and accurate in his chrges
1t appears that some of the admin
istration Of the huge vatican palace
mas been carried on in rather hap
hazard fashion. eFor instance, thou
sands Of lire were often paid for over
time work to the regular staff of
Workmen who receive weekly or
, monthly wages. The pope, counting
up the regular days work and the ov-
ertimc charged, pointed out that one
poor man must have been working for
considerably over 20 hours out of the
"a. 81 hope l shall never see such an
| item in the accounts again." said the
pontiff with a quiet twinkle in his
eye: "it would be indeed cruel to ey-
pect anyone to ovcrwork himself to
, that extent"
1t has been discovered that the
alterations and repairs to a papal
, Ipalacc in the Piazza tScossacavelli,
near st. Peters, which is to be the
seat Of the Institute OF Ariental Stu
: dies. have cost, although they are not
nearly finished, more than would have
sufiiccd to buy whole new palace.
| A strict rule has therefore been made
that no expenditure surprising 800
lire may under any circumstances be
| made without the approval of a com
mission consisting Of Cardinals Gas
parri, Merry del Val, De Iai and Sbar-
, retu, to whom the pope has intrustcd
the duty of looking into every lire
| that is paid out.
Vote for o. D. Seay for State Super
inf an6cOt Of Educotipn