The Springfield herald., 1900-12-21
WHAT IS BEING DONE AT
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

Lieutenant General Miles had n slight
accident while heading the centennial
parade, break in his horses saddle
girth giving the general fall. The
head of the parade had just passed the
Presidents reviewing stand and Gem
eral Miles, having saluted the Presi-
dent had turned his horse toward the
House wing of the capitol. The saddle
girth suddenly parted, and General
Miles was seen to fall sideways. Cen
eral Miles suffered nothing save the
Inconvenience and annoyance of the
accident.
While the capitol was being rebuilt,
after its destruction by the British
army in 1914. the two houses of Con-
gress met in private dwellings. 1t was
not until 1897 that the two wings We're
completed and not until 1867 that the
dome was finished. The total eXpendi-
lures up to that time reached $4,000
600. Since that date two wings have
been added. with marble terrace.
which have brought the entire cost OF
the building to S19,O0O.O00. which is a
small sum compared with that eXpend-
ed upon several of the state capitols.
which do not approach it in magnitude,
dignity or beauty.
Mr.. MaddenN third assistant posi-
master general. has introduced an ii
novation in his annual report to the
President. He commends by name ten
pOstmasters out of the $4,000 in the ser
vice rs worthy of distinguished notice
because of their efficiency. The name
of Charles u. Gordon, postmaster at
Chicago. leads the list and the others
are: George a. Hibbhrd. postmaster
mt Boston; f. b. Dickerson at Detroit.
T.. w. Raumhoff at st. Louis, G. c.
(,an1.pn L.. Hnlli-
day at Pittsburg. Richard Hayward at
Providence, T. ii. Baker AT Louisville.
A. w. Mills at Nashville, Fred G. With
oft ut Dayton. Ohio.
The Senate committee on military af-
fairs continues It's hearing upon the
anti-canteen provision of the military
bill Rev w. +. Crafts gave the re-
suit of his own observations of the OPP
Grafton of the canteen at Newport
News after the close of the Cuban
war. He said he had found 1t as low
as the lowest saloon, and that regu-
lar orgie was in progress the day hewas
there. the renort being that most OF
the soldiers at the post deserted that
night He quoted General Sternberg
rs saying that the canteen causes
many soldiers to contract the drink
habit and General Miles as opposed
to the use of intoXicants by the soldiers
in the tropics.
In discussing the ship subsidy bill
in the Senate. Mr.. Hanna maintained
that in order to build up the American
merchant marine it was necessary to
have not only capital and experience.
but it was necessary likewise ito at
ford our foreign carrying trade pro-
tection-some kind of fundamentally
law" If this protection should be af-
Lad cniI Nr TInnna the growth OF
the American merchant marine woultU
be on par with the growth of the
shipping industry of the great lakes.
Discussing the rise and fall of the
American merchant marine. MIR. Han
ma declared that the beginning of the
decline in the industry was coincident
with the outbreak of the Civil War.
Strong opposition will develop to any
attempt that may be made to reduce
the tax of 10 cents n pound upon tea.
Republican members of the ways ana
means committee explain that when
the war revenue bill was under con-
slderation the principal importers of
tea and merchants appeared and eX-
planned that only tile refuse or poorer
grades of tea were being sent to this
country, and advocated tax upon the
ground that it would insure the impor-
tation of better and purer article 1t
is asserted that the tax has had the eff
feet desired, and that the tea now i'm
ported is not deleterious to health. but
is nutritious and of good quality.
The Senate has confirmed the follow
ing presidential appointments: Mineral
land commissioners in Idaho. G. A.
Black of Washington. T A. Davis Of
Idaho. II. B. King of Idaho; also Hunt
ington Wilson of Illinois, to be secre-
tary of the legation of the United
States to Japan; William ID. Bynum Of
Indiana, to be commissioner to revise
and codify the criminal and penal laws
of the United States; b. Fl. Tatem Of
Montana, to be assayer in charge of the
assay office at Helena, Montana; Dan
lei H. Mcmillan of New York, to be as
socinte justice of the Supreme Court of
New Mexico; to be major generals:
Brigadier General Lloyd Wheaton and
Brigadier General A. Chaffee, United0
States volunteers.
The cornerstone of the capitol was
laid by General Washington with Ma
sonic ceremonies and barbecue feast
on September IS. 1913. Seven years
later, in November. the building was
sufficiently completed for Mr.. Jeffer-
son. then vice president. to call joint
session in the original senate chamber,
which was in the basement under what
is now the Supreme Court The House
of Representatives met i'll temporary
quarters in the basement opposite,
which is now occupied by offices at
tached to the Supreme Court. few
months later better accommodations
We're prepared in a temporary building
on the capitol grounds. called 'the
oven because of its lack of ventila-
ton. The first permanent hall of rep
resentatives, which is now the statu-
nru hall of tho cn nitnl MnS accounted in