Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-05-18
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.
| SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS. !

at Malta has informed the state de.
partment that recent experiments IN
wireless telegraphy of the coast there
have resulted in the successful trans
mission OF message 1874 miles. While
experimenting on ship in the open
sea, he adds. the operators were sur
prised to receive message In ltal-
ian, asking as to the position OF the
ship. 1t afterward turned out that the
message came from an Italian war
vessel at Syracuse.
Danish Treaty Extended-Acting
Secretary of State Hill. for the
United States. and Minister Brun, for
Denmark, signed an agreement ex.
tending for one year the commercial
traiff treaty covering products eX.
changed between this country and the
Danish West Indies. The treaty would
have expired by limitation and the
extension will carry it into and per.
haps through the next session OF Con.
gress, thus giving the Senate ample
opportunity to act upon it.
Burglars at captol-The private
Office Of Speaker Henderson, in the
house wing of the capitol, was brok-
en- into some time Monday night and
the drawers OF the desks and cabinets
ransacked. The object of the intru-
der was evidently to secure papers OF
some sort, as no articles Of value
were taken. Speaker Henderson's
private papers had already been
shipped to his home in Iowa. An at
tempt was also made to force the door
of the ways and means committee
room.
A Women's Union-All the women
in the bookbinding department OF the
government priliing Office except
two, have agreed to join a union,
which the majority has been working
on for over year. These two say
that under no circumstances will they
join the women's union. For many
years the men in the government
printing Office have been members Of
a union and they have now come to
encourage and recognize the women's
efforts toward union Of their own. 1t
Is said that the women have complied
with the requirements which have
given the men the right to object to
the employment Of any one not a
member of their organization. The
two women who are standing out have
created friction among the 1000 or
more with whom they have associated
in work and the majority are now try.
Ing to have them transferred to some
other kind of work.
Rural Free Delivery-Computations
Just made at the postofflce depart.
ment disclose that the generous allow.
ance for rural free delivery during
the net fiscal years., 500 .O0O--is al
ready nearly expended. In conse'
quence the department must cease
planning further extensions of the sys,
TEN until either the appropriation for
the fiscal year beginning July l, 1902,
shall become available or Congress
shall vote an increased allowance for
the year beginning next July. There
are now on file sufficient number OF
applications to exhaust about $1,000.
900 more than the appropriation. The
whole number Of rural routes now In
operation is about 5000. each Of which
costs annually between $500 and
$1,000. To continue those routes next
year will cost. therefore. something
over 100000. Approximately 500
routes are already ordered established
by July I, making an increase in cost
OF maintenance of about 100000.
Peck Must Pay-on last Thanks.
giving Day Ferdinand w. Peck. COM
missioner general Of the United States
to the Paris exposition. sent double
message Of greeting containing 81
1 words to President Mckinley in be-
N half of himself and the stan Of the
81 American commission. In the mes
# sage Mr.. Peck said that he and his
associates felt that they had reason
for thanks that Mr.. Mckinley was
again to preside over the destinies OF
the nation. Mr.. Peck turned the mes.
sage in with voucher to Fred Brack
EFT, secretary and disbursing agent OF
the commission. but Mr.. Bracket de-
Clined to pay for it out OF the appro-
priation made by Congress, on the
ground that it was a personal message
lii communication to Mr.. Bracket
Mr.. Peck said that he felt that the
cable to our chief, in behalf OF the
staff which was necessitatel by oul
official absence on government duty
is a proper charge against the fund.
Mr.. Bracket was not convinced, ant
referred the matter to the comptroller
OF the treasury for his opinion. In 6
Il decision just rendered Comptroller
" Tracewell held that the telegram was
II purely personal one. and directed
Mr.. Bracket not to pay the tolls.
Happiness can be built only on vir