The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1902-07-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
washington, July Z, 1909.

prise to find the CHIEF executive OF gr06t
nation transacting business In such wholly
unsuitable and inadequate surroundings.
The Temporary white house,, which will
remain The office and residence, II he is
In Washington, of the president until the
renovation Of the white house proper has
been completed, is very ordinary private
residence which has been rented "unfur-
nished," and no great attempt has been
made at furnishing 1t. Some Of the am
tiquated furniture, which did not look
seriously out Of place In the old white
house, has been placed In the rooms,
where IL appears singularly shabby and
incongruous. What was the 'front par.
lor' of the house is now used as recep-
tion room, and In 1t Is large table de-
voted to the use of the newspaper corre-
spondents. The "back parlor" Is used
| by Secretary Barnes as his private office,
and was SO used by Secretary Cortelyou
while he was In the city, and the dining
room was used by the president for his
private office and as cabinet room"
The second floor of the house is devoted
to the private use of the president, and
the top floor is occupied by the regular
clerical force of the white house.
| Secretary Cortelyou tells me that In
Oyster Bay he has tented building
which will be used as an Office by the
president, as Mr.. Roosevelt desires to be
left to enjoy the privacy of his family In
his summer home. In fact, Mr.. Cortel-
you said, the day he left Washington.
that Mr.. Roosevelt would appreciate the
consideration of those persons who would
leave him to enjoy much needed rest
during the time he would remain in Oyster
Bay. Secretaries Cortelyou and Loeb
have rented cottages In the town Of Oyster
Bay, although MIR. and Mrs. Cortelyou
will be the guests of the President and
Mrs. Roosevelt during portion of July.
Secretary Barnes remains In charge OF
the temporary white house, and will be
In communication with the Oyster Bay
office by means of long distance tele-
phone which has just been installed. In
so far as possible all business will be
transacted at Washington. On August
14th the president will start on the ex.
| tended itinerary which will occupy his
time up to the Sth of October, when he
expects to return to Washington for the
| Grand Army encampment. Mr.. Roose-
velt will first visit several points In New
England and will then go west. He will
be present in Saint Paul during the state
fair, and will also attend the Illinois state
fair at Springfield.
With the adjournment of congress the
measures which were so long pending In
that body entered a new field of activity,
and energetic steps are being taken by all
the departments to carry into effect the
laws made by congress. A conference
was held recently at the white house, at
which were present the president, the
secretary of the interior and Senator
Hansbrough, to consider means for car.
rying out the provisions of the irrigation
till. This law, from the fact that 1t re.
quires no further legislation to make ii
effective, Is, perhaps, the most complete
bill passed by the fifty seventh congress.
There is already fund of upwards Of
$6, 600, 900 with which to commence oper.
ations, and there are numerous surveys
In the office of the geological survey from
which the first plans will be made.
Before they left Washington Senators
Hanna, Lodge and Spooner held confer.
ence with Secretary Hay looking to the
furtherance of the Panama canal, and as
soon as Secretary Hay returns to the city
which will be In about week, he will
begin series Of conferences with the
minister from Colombia, at which a treaty
will be negotiated and made ready fol
submission to the senate at the short ses
sion. There appear to be some serious
difficulties In the way of securing from
Colombia such concessions as it Is feared
are made necessary by the provisions ol
the bill. The Spooner substitute provides
that permanent control to the territory
through which the canal will pass musl
be secured, and the constitution of Co
lombia, according to Senior Concha, hel
minister In Washington, forbids the per
manent disposal of any of the territory oi
the country. Senor Concha says that he
has no doubt, however, that lease fol
two hundred years can be effected, with
possibly an agreement for the renewal o1
the lease for a like period. It Is also pos
sible that the opponents of any canal will
be able to prevent the ratification Of any
treaty In the senate, as the control OF but
one-third of the votes in the upper cham
ber would accomplish its defeat. "
The treasury department has already
prepared the necessary licenses, etc.
which are made necessary by the oleo
margarine law, and 1t is expected that II
the next week all Of the avowed manufac
turers of that product and of '.process
butter" will have taken out licenses. i
there remain any who have failed to com
ply with the law, prosecutions will be Inn
mediately begun. The department has
been notified that number Of the deal
ers In oleomargarine have provided them
selves with capsules, similar to those II
use In Denmark, and containing a color
Ing fluid which may be mixed with thu
oieo, thus giving 1t the color of butter
and have been requested to point ou
that the use of this coloring matter in any
oleO served to boarder or furnished tt
any person for consideration will render
the person using the coloring liable tt
heavy penalty.
| The immediate result of the Philippine
bill was the transfer on July 4th of tn,
governing authority In the Philippine
Islands from the army to the Philippin.
commission, where such had not alread.
taken place, and the general amnesty de
clared by the president to political pris
oners. Hereafter the $4,000 troops whs