Evening star., 1934-08-19
CABINET, 'ON TOUR.
HAS BUSY SEASON.
Missionaries of New Deal
Fare Forth to HinterIands
by Rail, Air and Sea.
BY REX COLLIER.

BY REX COLLIER.
Missionaries of the new deal have
Jared forth by rail, air and sea this
sizzling Summer In quest of f1rst-hand
information on the state Of recovery
here, there and everywhere.
In spite Of the heat-none will ad-
init it was because of the heat
President Roosevelt's travelling cabinet
has been carried to farflung places,
including Alaska and Hawaii, by a
wave of official inspections.
Other ranking officials of the re-
covery set-up have been caught in
the current-some of them, it is
limited, dived in with deliberate intent
and have been washed up as far
away as the shores of Europe and
Asia.
Most Of Trips Official.
Most of the trips have been describ-
ed as official, several have combined
business with pleasure and at least
one has been characterized as "just a
vacation"
The President, of course. set an
example by embarking on a cruise to
Hawaii. Voyaging thousands Of miles
aboard one of the Navy's new cruisers,
Mr.. Roosevelt obtained a much de-
served and needed rest and at the
same time had opportunity to inspect
the Panama Canal, to pay goodwill
visit to the President of Panama, to
tender his respects to Hawaii and to
demonstrate anew his interests in the
Navy. On his way back to Washington
he viewed pending hydroelectric and
reclamation projects in the Northwest.
No one would begrudge the hard
worked President such a trip, even
though 1t had been all play and even
though it meant some slight added
expense to the taxpayers. 1t was not
all play, however, and the voyage to
Hawaii cost the Navy nothing extra,
as the u. S. s. Houston would have
been IN maneuvers just as costly, any,
way. The other expenses, including
the regular 81. per day officers mess
assessment on the cruiser, came out
OF the presidential travel allowance.
granted to all Presidents by Congress.
McCarI Scans Vouchers.
Cabinet officers receive no special
travel allowance, but If their trips are
Tor official purposes the expenses are
borne by their respective departments.
Controller General McCarl scans all
travel vouchers with customary thor
oughnesS, and items not strictly Of
flcial cannot get by. Sometimes the
controllers idea of what is business
and what is pleasure differs widely
hot nf be sa1
the expense account, but McCarl
usually prevails.
The only members Of the cabinet
who have not been far from Wash
tngton this Summer are Secretary of
State Hull and Secretary of the Navy
Swanson. Hull, however, returned
the first Of the year from an ex-
tended tour Of Mexico and Central
America for the official purpose of
engendering pan-American comfy,
and he Is planning a quiet two-week
rest in Virginia. Swanson has taken
O few trips down the Potomac River
on the presidential boat Sequoia and
has spent some time at former Presi-
dent Hoover's mountain retreat on
the Rapidan.
Attorney General Cummings is on
his way back from Honolulu, where
he and Assistant Attorney General
Harry w. Blair transacted some i'm
portant business for the Government
in connection with what is described
formally as certain land condemna-
ton proceedings pending in the
islands. While the exact nature of
these proceedings is confidential, in
volving, as they do, naval develop
ments tn Hawaii, 1t is known the
Attorney General hoped to save the
Government millions of dollars by
taking q personal hand in the mat
ters.
Cummings "Digs Down."
The Department of Justice is pay
ing the Attorney Generals way, but
Cummings is digging into his own
pocket for many collateral expenses,
including, of course, those of Mrs.
Cummings. En- route to the Pacific
Coast the Attorney General inspected
the Federal Penitentiary at Leaven-
worth, KanS., and before he returns
to Washington he plans to visit other
Federal prisons, including the new
on Alcatraz Island
Secretary of Commerce Roper re-
turned August from what he de-
clared was "one of the most extensive
and in some respects the most inform
ing trip of my life so far"-to Alaska
and way points.
Leaving Washington June 20, Roper
travelled by rail to Seattle, where he set
sail June IS on a Coast Guard vessel
for northern waters.
"The main object of my trip" the
Commerce Secretary announced on his
return, was to acquaint myself with
the projects and activities under the
Department Of Commerce In Alaska.
The most important of these are our
fisheries, including salmon, halibut,
herring and the fur seals"
Seldom has Alaska been honored
with so thorough an inspection by
cabinet officer. Secretary Roper in
spected the seals of the Pribilof Islands,
which are wards of the Bureau of
Fisheries; the halibut fishing industry,
the lighthouses along some 1,70o miles
OF coast, the airlines and airports Of
Alaska and the scenery.
Finds Beautiful Scenery.
OF the last-named, Secretary Roper
had this to say: 1T have found no
where in the course of my travels, not
even In Switzerland, more beautiful
scenery than viewed in my trip along
the coast and into the interior of
Alaska. More beautiful mountain
scenery, more attractive waters, more
game fishing, more opportunities in
big game hunting cannot, in my
opinion, be found anywhere"
The Commerce Secretary is so en-
thusiastic about Alaska that he is 60
ing to make full report to the Presi-
dent about it.
Postmaster General Farley has not
been away from American shores this
Summer, but there are few points OF
the compass at home he has not ven-
tured. Nearly everywhere he goes he
makes speech or gives an interview,
go there is little real rest for him away