The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-11-28
FROM WASHINGTON.
CONGRESSIONAL BiLLS-TRADE
SCHOOlS-FlNANcIAL
Other Interesting Subjects.
From our Special Correspondent

dSuiukbOu, ~ Nss NV @vNhy AFN"'
Many of the people in the country
/ wonder how Congress occupies the time
OF u long session. There Is always a
great amount of bushes to be attended
to- Up to this day there have been in
/ troduced in the House of Representa-
tives alone, over ) 200 bills. When IL ID
considered that they all have to go to
committees for action and many OF them
involve extended debate, as well IA care
iul examination 10y the Members, II will
be readily understood how an immense
amount Of time can be consumed. Then
too, the process of introducing bills goes
on every day during the session. Many
measures are presented by Members who
have no idea whatever that they will be.
come laws. This is done TO crafty con
stituents.
had conference today with Secretary
| Wilson OF the Bureau of Agriculture. He
is very much alarmed at the ravages OF
/ the boil weevil, which is attacking the
cotton OF the south. He says so far no
remedy has been discovered which will
prevent these exceedingly lively insects
from doing great damage to the crop Of
the south. lie has just returned from a
visit 10 Texas, and states he has already
made shipments OF u large quantity oil
seed To be planted early enough to allow
the crop to mature before the boil wee
gils get 10 their work
Last week | was out 10 Virginia, and
without any intention of so doing, en-
tered one of the sections OF the ear
marked "COlored IL was vacant, but
the conductor requested me TO go into
che section designated for whites. The
occurrences that take place on these cars
are some times quite ludicrous. Some OF
the trains run through places where
there is no Jim Crow Law, which pro
vides for the setting aside OF a separate
section for colored people. For instance
II some colored people are riding in Nir.
ginis in q section set apart for them and
cross the border line into Maryland,
they are at perfect liberty to 20 into the
white compartment, which they very
| iseqaently do. The laws OF tho District
Of Columbia formerly prohibited colored
| people from riding in cars set apart Tor
white people and separate cars were
provided for the cOlored folks. These
were marked by black balls on the TOP
Of the cars. This distinction has long
since been done away with, aud we have
now no local difficulty in dealing with
the subject.
Interest in trade schools il still grow
ing We have several in Washington
The most prominent Is the Mckinley
Manual Training School, which has a
shop equipped with modern tools and
methods, supervised by first class in
structOrs, who fully understand the sys
TEN they are interested ia teaching The
machinery necessary 10 equip one shop
cost nearly $4,000 The assertion is
made that young man can get better
knowledge Of q trade in trade school
than actual work In a chop. Certain II
s that the inventive genius OF many OF
the scholars is developed by the training
| they receive at these schools. In the one
/ | visited, | saw Il gas engine and several
other inventions made by the scholars
I 1t is indeed gratifying that the public
schools are working along more practice
| lines The statement il made that the
exercise taken in the course OF manual
training will add greatly TO the health oI
the pupils.
Better hygiene, more thorough know
ledge otselicare, purer water, more thor
ough drainage, less drinking OF liquor
all these things and many Others have
combined TO make the twentieth century
man finer physical product than existed
generation ago. The American people
are becoming more temperate and more
intelligent. Is isnO longer the lad for our
women aud girls to be puny and delicate.
Short skirts. wheeling, riding, goliing.
walking, swimming, fencing, even box
ing. have contributed TO make the com
ing mothers OF the race fit 10 bear strong
sons and daughters Physical culture is
now part of our public school system
aud part OF the daily Life OF most men
and women Of Europe and America
Hence we are gradually beginning TO
live longer We may doeven better II we
will"
The canteen question is being agitated
again. Many OF the most prominent
army officers are in favor OF its re-estab-
iishment
The coming foot ball game between the
army and navy, as represented by the
Annapolis and West Point teams, is at
tracing good deal Of attention, and a
large number of people will 90 10 Phila-
lelphia to be present at the contest next
Saturday. To the Ordinary observer it
seems ridiculous that 80 large an amount
Of money should be expended by parties
who want TO see a semi brutal display OF
strength on the part Of our young men,
which must lead 10 the permanent Grip
Dliug OF several persons at least. The
very fl st step taken is the preparation
made by surgeons for the relief OF those
who are knock ed out or injured, and q
complete hospital equipment is taken to
che grounds, and half dozen expert sur
Seons ara TO be in attendance, so as to
be prepared Tor emergencies. The taeul-
ties of the majority OF the universities
and colleges 10 the United States say
that the American physical type is get
ting higher all the time.
at appears from the report OF the sur
geon general OF the United States army
chat the total number OF candidates ex
smined for enlistment was 45,2lS and
that of this number about twO-thirds, or
3O,l76. were accepted. This is a large
when the TACT is taken into
account that the standard of excellence
is very high, none but physically
perfect men being accepted. OF the 49,.
21S applicants for enlistment AZ, 1873
were white men and 3.033 were eolored
men. OF the white men 81 100 were &C
cepled and of the cOlOred men 1886"
We are troubled here, as well as else
where. by the continual agitation Of the
labor question. The bod carriers have
now a difference with the Master Build
ers' Association.
Tue representatives OF Colombia are
still agitating their claims to Panama
and trying to work up feeling OF sym !
patty in their behalf.
The work of the extra session OF Con-
zress now seems to be practically at a
:lose. The House has passed the Cuban I
bill. The Senate will probably do 30
very shortly.
In answer to the uniriendly comments
Of ]. Pierpont Morgan and come Of the
Wall street operators, that President
Roosevelt's financial policy cannot be re- /
led upon, attention has been called L"
tbe fact that Secretary Shaw could have
produced a panic at any time during the
asst year il be had just chosen to call in I
he deposits OF the government from the /
Sew York banks; but, instead OF doing 1
his. he has been expanding end sending /
he government currency out where, in 1
,Is opinion. ii would do the most good
rhe secretary, by the way, is Of the opin-
on that to meet emergency demands for
more money, national banks should be
,ermitted. with the consent OF the con-
roller OF the currency. to issue volume