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==Secretary of the Interior==
===Selection by Wilson===
In the [[United States presidential election, 1912|1912 presidential election]], Lane supported Democratic candidate and [[Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey Governor]] [[Woodrow Wilson]], though he declined to make campaign speeches on Wilson's behalf, citing ICC policy that commissioners act in a nonpartisan manner.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lane|1922|p=106.}}</ref> Wilson was elected on November 5, 1912, and on November 21 the commissioner spent much of the day with Colonel [[Edward House]], the President-elect's advisor, who would play a key role in selecting Cabinet appointees. The possibility of Lane becoming Secretary of the Interior was discussed, but the commissioner indicated he was happy in his present position.<ref name = "house">{{Harvnb|Righter|2006|p=119.}}</ref> After the meeting, Lane had second thoughts, and asked House if he would have a free hand as Interior Secretary. House indicated that were he to prove capable in the position, Wilson would not interfere. Colonel House did not immediately recommend Commissioner Lane for the job, but went on to consider other candidates, such as former San Francisco mayor [[James D. Phelan]] and Wilson friend [[Walter Hines Page|Walter Page]].<ref name = "house"/>
At the ICC meeting on January 8, 1913, the commissioners elected Lane as the new chairman, effective January 13.<ref>{{Citation
| title = Lane heads Commerce Commission
| periodical= The New York Times
| date = 1913-01-09
| accessdate = 2009-01-27
| url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C00E6DB163FE633A2575AC0A9679C946296D6CF}}</ref> Wilson continued to keep his Cabinet intentions quiet, and Lane noted in January 1913 of those who met with the President-elect in New Jersey, "nobody comes back from Trenton knowing anything more than when he went".<ref>{{Harvnb|Lane|1922|p=124.}}</ref> On February 16, House met again with him (on Governor Wilson's instructions) to get a better sense of the ICC chairman's views on conservation.<ref name = "house"/> According to House's diaries, Lane, while reluctant to leave his position as chairman, was willing to serve in the Interior position if offered. He considered the position the most difficult Cabinet post but was also willing to serve in any other capacity.<ref name = "housediary">{{Citation
| last = House
| first = Edward
| last2 = Seymour
| first2 = Charles
| title = The intimate papers of Colonel House arranged as a narrative by Charles Seymour
| publisher = Houghton Mifflin Co.
| year = 1926
| pages = 107–08
| url = http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=genpub;cc=genpub;q1=Lane;rgn=full%20text;idno=acl9380.0001.001;didno=ACL9380.0001.001;view=image;seq=148;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset|accessdate = 2009-02-19}}</ref>
As Wilson adjusted his lineup of potential Cabinet appointees, he and House considered Lane for the positions of [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] and [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]].<ref name = "housediary"/> Finally, Wilson wrote to him on February 24, 1913, offering him the Interior position,<ref name = "house"/> and, although the two had never met, the chairman accepted the post.<ref>{{Harvnb|Righter|2006|p=118–19.}}</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', Chairman Lane was selected since he was one of the few California Democrats who had fought the railroads and who was not beholden to Hearst.<ref>{{Citation
| title = Cabinet's open door amazes old-timers
| periodical= The New York Times
| date = 1913-03-16
| accessdate = 2009-02-13
| url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C0DE7D81139E633A25755C1A9659C946296D6CF}}</ref> At the time, it was customary not to make an official announcement of Cabinet appointments until the new President formally submitted the names to the Senate on the afternoon of March 4; however, ''The New York Times'' obtained the list of Wilson's appointees a day early.<ref>{{Citation
| title = Cabinet complete, Wilson announces
| periodical= The New York Times
| date = 1913-03-04
| accessdate = 2009-01-27
| url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9907E4DF1F3AE633A25757C0A9659C946296D6CF}}</ref> The Senate met in special session on March 5, and approved all of President Wilson's Cabinet appointees.<ref>{{Citation
| title = Record of Current Events
| periodical = Review of Reviews and World's Work
| date = April 1913
| accessdate = 2009-01-27
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=M2BzX5MQUGEC&pg=PA414&lpg=PA414&dq=franklin+lane+confirmed+senate+march+1913&source=web&ots=1SvcKci-an&sig=KY4KW2FSaufYg_8G20qx1P3prr0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result}}</ref>
===Department activities===
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