Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-03-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
IspeeIal Correspondence.l

Especial Corrcspondencel
Plans for group OF new buildings
for the bureau of engraving aud print
Ing have been forwarded to the speak
er OF the house by Secretary OF the
Treasury Cortelyor. Secretary Cortel
you recommends that new site be
selected aud that the buildings be
erected at cost or $2.S25.oo0. The
site will cost $4,000, making the en-
tire appropriation ,$s,o7b.000,
Flew euildinas Planned.
With his Recommendation Secretnr,
Cortelyou sent to the speaker plans
for the buildings. They contemplate
n building 6o0 by 302 feet, with u light
court 500 by ITO feet This main
building ia to be five stories high. with
basement and subbasenent. II win
he constructed with Il steel frame
stone 10 the iirst door aud brick and
terra Gotta above.
A building 2SS by 20 feet is planned
for the light court, to be one story ana
attic, with basement and subbasemept
to cost $4,000. The nnnex is 10 con,
tain n power plant laundry and sta.
bles. and it is 10 be 300 by 15l feet,
With light court 154 by % feet.
6attloship Models. o
Visitors TO the state, war anu navy
department building miss the models
of the big ships which once stood In
the Railways. There are one or two
models still IN existence, but they are
of the smaller gunboats. and they lack
the interest which attaches to tho big
turreted vessels with their guns. which,
even In model form, are frownlng ana
savage looking enough.
No inquiry personally has been made
as TO why the models OF the ships have
been sent into the closet. 1t may be
that the authorities did not care ia
have them inspected at close range by
representatives of foreign governments.
1t would seem, however, that this
argument would be no reason for the
removal OF the models, because repre
sentatives OF foreign powers have no
trouble at all In securing entrance to
the battleships themselves.
a Wax Figure Show.
In the hallway OF the army part OF
the state, war and navy building there
are wax figures of men clothed ono
after the other In the uniforms OF the
service since Revolutionary DAYS.
These wax figures are pretty wen
done. innsmuch as they are not 80
CHASTITY looking, so "shuddery," as are
some of the wax figures that one sees
in store windows.
Picturesque Uniforms.
BY far the most picturesque OF the
uniforms are those which were worn
In the Revolutionary days. or course
the uniforms shown in the war depart.
ment are spick and span and made for
the show occasions. 1t isn't at all like
~ that many of the soldiers of the
Revolution had such flne buds to wear
as these to be seen In Mr.. Taft's de.
partment. Tho buff and blue nre beau.
tiful. much more beautiful than some
OF the uniforms which followed.
The rifiemcn of the Revolution wore
deerekins on their bodies and coon.
skins on their heads. These uniforms
nre shown with the others, and they
add to the picturesqueness OF the dis.
play. 1t must he said. however. that
the present field uniform OF the United
Stntes troops is by far the most conf
Portable anu serylceablc OF all that
have been used slnce the American
army came into existence.
An Expensive Change.
Few persons realize how much mon.
ey Will be involved by the change
made necessary In the United Stntes
flag by the addition OF another STIR for
Oklahoma on July l.
The method OF arrangement OF the
stars has not yet been decided. At
present there are six rows. alternat-
Ing seven and eight to tho row. Sew
eral Ingenious designers have submit
ted propositions for new arrange-
inent. and doubtless when newspaper
readers begin TO realize how great the
change will have 10 be there will be
lively competition for submitting nm
appropriate arrangement.
The addition of the star will result
In changes In every flag owned by the
government, and most OF those now IN
use will have to he thrown away.
What with all the postofiices, custom
houses, ships and army posts the bunt-
Ing required will run into millions OF
yards.
The Drill at Fort Myer.
At Fort Myer. Just across the Po-
tomnc from Georgetown, troop OF
cavalry and battery OF field artillery
OF the regular army give IN exhibition
drill In the riding hall every Friday
afternoon. The demand for tickets
each week is thrice greater than the
halls seating capacity. Senators, rep
resentntives, nonofficIals aud their
wives, mothers, cousins. daughters aud
sweethearts attend to witness a per-
Torrance given without money and
without nrira that 10 haitian tI,o,, oor