Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-07-25
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondonce.)

New Barracks In Now England.
The quartermaster generals Of
fce is preparing plans for mum.
Der of new barracks and officers
quarters at coast artillery posts
in New England and elsewhere. IL
is hoped to have the plans COM
pleted and construction bids ad-
Vertlsed for by September 1.
Allowance Declared UnIawfuI-In
an opinion recently rendered by the
Interstate commerce commission, the
payment to certain railroads of an ele-
vator allowance of quarters OF
one cent hundred pounds was held to
be an undue and unlawful disorimina-
ton and the defendant carriers were
ordered to discontinue on october
such payments The decision was in
the case of the Traffic bureau and the
Merchants exchange of st. Louis
against several western railroads.
Uncle Sam Wants His Money-That
Uncle Sam does not propose to lose so
Insignificant sum as SO without
fled the other day with the Interstate
commerce commission by Thomas N.
Newberry, as acting secretary of the
navy, against the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad, the New England steamship
and the New England navigation COM
fOr q nf
stated for transporting two govern
ment employees from Pittsburg to
Newport, R. |. The defendant carriers
charged the government at rate Of
$3.50 each for the two men, the gov
ernment claiming that a rate of $11
each would have been reasonable
compensation for the services re l
cred.
Washington Necessarily Formal =
An anxious soul asked local newspa-
per a short while ago whether 1t Is
good form to wear a frock coat to
Sunday night supper at 8 o'clock"
This was the answer: mo. 1t Is
never good form in Washington to
evening" But Washington is form
al town, necessarily formal in conse-
quence of army and navy etiquette,
the dignity of the supreme court, the
presence OF ambassadors and "you uns
there with the gewgaws on" to quote
Andrew Johnson's description. Not
long ago a young married woman Of
Baltlmore's smart" set went to a
"subscription costume" dinner in
bathing suit Dashing young blades
threw her into a fountain and played
on her with siphon bottles. This could
not have happened at dinner in TIE
"best society" twas too unexro
too original.
Dortor and Druggist Equally Liable
commissioner of Internal Revenue
Capers has decided that both the doc
tor who writes a prescription for de-
natured alcohol and the druggist who
prepares it and sells the medicine to
the patieat are liable to criminal pro-
secution. The decision is the result
OF the action Of some druggists who
prescribed denatured alcohol for ex.
ternal medicinal purposes not know
ing that 1t was against the law. The
decision says: Completely dena-
tured alcohol contains kerosene and
crude wood alcohol which renders It
unfit even for external medication.
However, the second section of the
law regulating the sale and manufac-
ture of denatured alcohol provides fine
and Imprisonment for any person who
uses denatured alcohol for manufac-
turing any beverage or liquid medici-
nal preparation, or knowingly sells
any preparation made in part or who'll
ly from such alcohol"
Peculiar Physical condltions.--An
investigation has been conducted in
the District OF Columbia which set
forth surprising result as to the
physical condition of the youth of the
city Of Washington. Under the recent
child labor law, those under sixteen
years Of age must first obtain cer-
tificate of rugged health before ac.
cepting position. Since June 80,
100 such children have been passed
upon by the official inspector. OF the
number rejected seventyNfive were
boys and only two girls. 1t is stated
that the number of male applicants
was the larger, but the percentage Of
boys suffering from physical disability
was very much larger than that Of
frlg ha InHa
lection was principally heart and lung
trouble. Inquiry has satisfied the In.
spectors that similar conditions are
to be found in all large cities, that Is
that city girls under the age of six
teen are far healthier than city boys
Of corresponding ages.
An Aeronautie Coast Guard--Ac.
cordlng to plans being discussed by
the signal corps office and the Board
of Ordnance of the Army, $1,O00,0OO
win be asked of the next congress for
fleets of dlrigible airships, similar to
that Of Count zepplin, for coast de.
fence. Rapid progress in aeronautics
among foreign nations makes It inn
perative, they believe, that the Unit.
ed States should begin plans for
aerial fleets, Should congress make
this appropriation, and some signal
officers urge the necessity Of asking
congress for an appropriation OF S1O,.
100000. in order to keep up with for.
elgn countries in military aeronautics
stations on the Atlantic will probably
be established at Boston, New York,
some points on the New Jersey coast
Norfolk. Charleston and Mobile. On
the Pacific coast stations will be es,
tablished at Bremerton, San Francis.
co and San Diego. Men will be trained
in special aeronautlc branch Of the
signal corps in the handling Of the
airships and the explosives to be
dropped overheard on land forces OF
the enemy's tattleships and war craft