Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-10
FEDERAL WORKERS
TO GET HALF DAY
Off DURING RITES
Departments, With Few Ex-
Ceptions, Will Honor Former
Presidents Memory.

All executive departments and indie
pendent establishments of the Govern
ment, with a few possible exceptions,
will excuse those of their employees who
may be spared from duties tomorrow
afternoon, out of respect to the memory
of william Howard Taft.
Department stores will close their
doors at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon
out of respect for the former Presi-
dent, according to an announcement
made by the Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association this afternoon.
The Treasury and Commerce Depart
ments, the first to make the decision,
announced at noon today that such
employees as may be spared will be ex-
cused at 1890 O'Clock Inc oroeI'
signed by Secretary Mellon and Secre-
tary Lamont, will affect a great ma
iority of the clerks.
Similar action is expected to be taken
at the District Building and by other
departments later today or tomorrow
morning.
DifRcuIty Under Law.
The decision was in compliance with
a communication from the White
House. which explained that while the
President is prevented by a law OF the
land to issue such an executive order
in the case of the death of an ex-offi-
cial of the Government, such as Mr..
Taft was, he left 1t to the diScretions OF
the heads of the departments and in
dependent establishments whether or
not employees might be excused for
sufficient period tomorrow out OF defer
ence to the funeral of the former Presi-
dent and Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court.
Impossible TO Act.
Mr.. Taft, having been an ex-ofhcial,
makes issuance of presidential order
closing the departments impossible.
This was true also In the cases OF Col.
Theodare Roosevelt and woodrow VIII
son, who were ex-oficials at the time
of their deaths
The law on this subject is found in
Title 5, Chapter !. Section % OF the
Code of Laws of the United States OF
America and reads: THE executive de-
partments of the Government shall not
be closed as mark to the memory Of
any deceased ex-oflcials Of the United
States"
Ills UGCdIIlC a ldW R1dkCL4 D. 4Ooos
In compliance with the Presidents
proclamation, issued Immediately after
the death of Mr.. Taft Saturday, calling
for 30-day period of ofhcial mourning,
the American flag atop the White
House is flying at half-stah and will
continue so for that period.
The justices of the District Supreme
Court today held a general term session
to take action on the death of former
President Taft, and of Edward Terry
Sanford, associate justice of the. United
States Supreme Court All special terms
of the court will stand adjourned until
Wednesday, March IL.
Acting Chief Justice Stafford an
nounced that because of the funeral
service in Tennessee for Justice San
ford today the court would follow its
usual custom of adjourning out OF re-
spect to his memory. AS the funeral
of former Chief Justice Taft will oc-
cur tomorrow, the court said, 1t was
proper that no court business be tran
sacted on that day. He directed the
clerks in the various divisions OF the
court, including the probate division.
to take proper action to suspend AL
business until Wednesday.
The grand jury also viii be recessed
until Wednesday.
A number of the larger business firms
in the city will close their doors for
the day at 2 o'clock tomorrow. These
include Woodward & Lothrops, Gar
flnckels and Jelleff's department stores.
Judge Katheryn Sellers announced
that the Juvenile Court would be closed
this afternoon and tomorrow.