OCR Text |
Show i Gossip of Washington What Is GolnrJ On n( the National Capitul. Mystery of a Missing Mink Overcoat WASIUNOTON.-Unless Bt. Anthony An-thony speedily answers his prayers, pray-ers, or somo other agency ot tho lost nnd fqund Intervenes to help him, it may bo necessary for Senutor McCum-tier McCum-tier of North Dakota to insert un ad-vortlsemcnt ad-vortlsemcnt In the newspapers ot his stato for a mysteriously missing over-coat. over-coat. In tho second week of his strenuous campaign for tho presidency Judgo Taft invnded North Dakota. Ho was accompnnled by a cold wavo that mot him nt Minneapolis. Great preparations prepara-tions had been mado for his entertainment enter-tainment nt Fargo, whero the nrrango-monts nrrango-monts contemplated a visit by tho nopubllcan presidential candldato to a big barbocuo near tho odgo of tho city. All theso plans wero outlined to Mr. Tnft by a locat commltteo which bonrded tho train at Crookston, Minn. When Mr. Taft hinted that ho had no garment to protect him from tho cold, local committeemen said thoy would seo to It that ho was provided with proper habiliments. When tho Taft special reached Grand ForkB, Senator McCumber got Fargo on tho long-distance telophono nnd said ho wanted tho chairman of tho county commltteo to bo nt tho station with nn overcoat that would fit Judgo Taft. A hundred loyal sons Citizens Want a Change in Government THE liveliest question in Washington Washing-ton just now is that of a change in tho district's form of government. As ovorybody probably woll knows affairs are administered now by n commission com-mission ot threo men appointed by tho president, ono ot whom must bo an army engineer. Thero is undoubtedly a growing opinion that a concentration ot authority au-thority In tho district government would simplify tho municipal situation and produce better results. Tho commission com-mission plan has its good features. It has long been hold up as a model, ideally suited to tho needs ot tho District Dis-trict of Columbia, whero suffrago la denied. Dut frequent and repeated contention and bickering among tho membors of tho board have served to creato mora or less gencrnl criticism ot tho commission plan, and thus glvo the propaganda for a chango somo momentum. mo-mentum. With tho commissioners oh-vlously oh-vlously working at cross purposes, and airing their differences, and sub-ordinato sub-ordinato district officials following PItKSIDENT nOOSEVELT caused groat rejoicing among 25,000 government gov-ernment clorks hero tho other day, by announcing that ho had no Intention of compelling tho poor overworked employes to labor an additional 30 minutes dally. Dut boforo tho rejoicing got to tho danger point, ho spoiled It all, by adding add-ing a postscript that ho would permit no dopartment head to Increaso the salary of any of tho employes). Tho hours which tho department omployos now observe aro from nlno a. m. to 4:30 p. m with half un hour for. lunch. " ttp to threo years ago, thoy quit at four o'cloclnuionnTrccrrr-wlrtn-very suddenly tho strenuous president issued an order tacking on tho additional addi-tional halt hour. Then It was rumored THE shock to tho modesty of tho guardian of Washington's morals tho other day was almost overwhelming overwhelm-ing when his eye caught an nnlmatod, dazzling and highly colored poster of the danco of Salome. "Avaunt from my sight, yo temptress tempt-ress ho cried as he slowly recovered recov-ered his moral standard, rthwlth o determined that tho capital could not gazo upon those pictures of the dancer In full career. Tlio edict of this "moral censor,' who U H. 1 Oessford. Inspector of po-V po-V n" U law, bo far as It concerns the-niciUT!uoTn5T,,'''''""',"'""" the-niciUT!uoTn5T,,'''''""',"'""" ton billboards will bo barren of 8 Thus' was Gertrude Hoffman, who had "a vision of Salome" to present to capital at ono of the lead ng ho-aters. ho-aters. banished from tho sight of tlw casual passerby, tho street urchin and tho studont ot billboard art. Tho offending posters now repose in the dark recesses of tho stage of tho theater, while acton, and managers and attaches gather about and declare thom martyrs to tho cauao of art ' "Ain't it awful. Mabel, that such swell pictures should bo condemned. ot Fargo wero willing to shiver In tho raw pralrlo blizzard that tho next president of tho United States should bo properly clad. Tho difficulty was to find n man of tho Taft physical pro-portions pro-portions who owned nn overcoat, Tho county chairman wns in despair until ho happened to think of Finn Leech, a "bonanza farmer," whoso ranch 1b only a tew miles from Fargo, Finn weighs 310 pounds. Tho county chairman lost no tlmo Ift getting in touch with Finn Leech. "Did Finn have an ovcrcoatt" Sure thing, and It was lined with mink nnd cost t75. "Would ho loan It to Judgo Taft for use that evening?" Would ho? Would a lifelong Republican miss a chance to havo his finest garment adorn tho shoulders ot tho leader of his party? Ton minutes Inter tho overcoat was In the hands of tho county chairman and Judgo Taft was tucked beneath its amplo folds as soon ns his train reached Fargo. Ho woro tho coat to tho barbecue and to tho meetings following fol-lowing tho feast. And for all that Finn knows ho may bo wearing It now as ho follows tho elttstvo golf ball over tho links nt Hot Springs. Tho $175 mink llnod overcoat disappeared dis-appeared when Judge Tnft left Fargo, Nobody seems to know whoro It Is. Its owner has askod Senator McCumbor to make an investigation. It's colder now In Fargo than It was when Judgo Taft visited that city and Finn Leech Is willing to wnger this Is going to bo tho most severe winter ever known on tho pralrlcB ot North Dakota. this example by engaglpg in noisy controversies, con-troversies, it Is a logical sequence that tho present form ot government 'should gradually bo somewhat undermined. under-mined. Many substantial citizens and largo tax-payers are convinced that a ono-headed ono-headed government would work mora smoothly nnd satisfactorily. This Is no now conviction on their part. It has been emphasized in recent exhibitions exhi-bitions of division In tho present triumvirate. tri-umvirate. It Is true, but tho advisability advisabil-ity of concentrated nuthorlty has appealed ap-pealed to thom for years. Theso citizens, however, who honestly hon-estly bellovo in tho wisdom of n chango for tho public good seo great danger In going before congress and asking for a chango nt this tlmo. It by simplo act ono commissioner or governor could bo substituted for the triumvirate thoy would urgo It earnestly earn-estly and heartily. Hut they fear tho proposition would mean tho opening up of tho whole question of tho relations rela-tions between tho district and federal government, with a possible alteration of tho organic act and perchanco tho granting of unrestricted suffrage. nottor 'suffer tho Ills wo have, thoy argue, than' Invito ills wo know not of, especially as tho Ills wo now havo, though vnxatlous, Imposo no heavy burdens and Involve no maladministration. Jov of Department Clerks Shortlived that h'o Intended to complete the Job by making it n full hour, and keeping tho clerks nt work until flvo o'clock overy day. So when tho clerks went to work tho other day thero was great rejoicing rejoic-ing In tho White Houso announcement that 4:30 would still bo tho limit. Then came tho socond hnlf of tho same executlvo order directing that no Increaso should bo offered, suggested sug-gested or proposed In any of tho budgets for anybody. Economy was given as tho causo. This order affects not only tho Wnshlngton employes ot the government, govern-ment, but Its employes throughout tho country, many of whom nro figuring on generous Increases. Secretory Loeb oxplalnod that tho no lucreaso order did not apply to regular reg-ular promotions under tho civil serv-Ico, serv-Ico, but that It would forbid tho Increaso In-creaso of any clerk's or oinclnl's salary sal-ary for tho samo work. It Is understood under-stood that n number of department htud . lll.JiLfiJe.auenJ. lnUiJC. current estimates nn Increaso for Borne of their subordinates. Tho presidents presi-dents order spoils all ot this. I Police Ban on Dazzling Salome Posters I Jest Uko somo phony canned goods or somothlng llko that," said ono Indignant Indig-nant chorus girl. Just to show that tho manngomont did not share tho shamu o( the censor, tho postors wero pasted up in tho theater lobby. |