"BUY AND BUY"

Yesterday's announcement of Judge Landis' decision to end seventeen years of service on the Federal Bench, at $7,500 a year, and devote all of his time to his work as National Commissioner of baseball, at $50,000 a year, following close upon the resignation of Postmaster-General' Hays to take up a highly paid position in the motion picture industry, throws into relief one of the most serious questions of the present day. More and more is it becoming the practice for officers of the government, with or without reisgning, to participate in private activities. In some cases the national prominence a man obtains by his official position serves him as so much free advertising in his outside work. Senator Hiram Johnson of California is said to have received over $20,000 as fee for his work in connection with the New York electric railways Senator Reed of Missouri has been in Boston, between sessions of Congress, serving as counsel for District Attorney Pelletier. Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo resigned with the frank admission that he could not support his family on his salary from the government. Now come Hays and Landia, and rumor asserts that Secretary Hoover, too, is faced with similar temptation, in the form of a $50,000 offer from Philadelphia to direct the coming Exposition.

How is it going to be possible to keep the national administration in efficient hands, against the bidding of great corporations for the same men? In the interests of economy, the national government cannot even enter the lists against the great moneyed industries, when it comes to paying salaries; and with every resignation of a government official to enter a private corporation, the distinction of the office, as such, is lessened. The position of Senator or Secretary of State is consequently less desired for its own sake, now, than it was fifty years ago. It is hardly fair to appeal to a man's public spirit or altruism, when not only the financial return, but the honor as well, are relatively so small. Yet that at present is the only appeal possible.

The press is full of the menace to the national game of baseball from the constant buying up of "stars" by the highly capitalized, New York clubs. What is of far more real importance, is the tendency to buy up the political "stars"--the brains and ability in the national government--by private corporations.