The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-12-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

ton, the Convention for the Conserva-
Waterways Convention have all depart
ed, leaving Washington alene with
Congress, the President and the Presi-
dent elect. 1t has been a strenuous
week for Washington with these con-
llventions, which were of-real impor-
Etance. Doubtless the President is
Earnestly DESTROYS OF accomplis hing
onething before his "sun,'' as he ex-
presses it, shall completely set, and be-
fore he plunges into the midst OF the
Dark Continent and leaves The country
to the care of William Howard
! Taft and Congress and Speaker Ca2-
non. The administration for more than
seven years mas been trying to accom-
plish great things and doubtless the era
| called Rooseveltian will be remember
| ed for its strenususness. But the Pres-
dent has been opposedby stubborn con-
servatism in both Houses of Congress
and will doubtless go away with feeling
| that much has been left to his successor
The Waterways Convention has been
much in favor of immediate work for
the improvement of national waterways
and was disposed, as was the President
tie raise money by bond issue to the ex
| tent of five hundred million of. dollars.
But the Speaker of ihe House, in ons of
his characteristic oratorical stunts, let
| it be known that he would smash any
| program of that kind. Uncle Joe evil
| IDENTITY considers his mission to be main
| ly curbing the mischievous antics Of the
younger statesmen, those of fifty years
| of age or thereabouts. He declared en-
phatically that he would oppose and
vote against any bond issue for water
| ways All he would promise to do was
to support any river and harbor bill
framed by Burton of Ohio. Until he
appeared on the platform the conven-
tien was having a delightful time,
Everybody who had heard of the bond
| issue scheme, declared it was the very
thing, ingenious, feasible and sure to
go through. Uncle Joe, however, com
pared it to M other Hubbard dress that
covers everything and touches nothing.
| Washin gton.during the week has been
full of distinguished men and most of
them have been heard at one or more
of the Conventions At the Nationa
Conservation Convention, President
Roosevelt, President-elect Taft, Mr..
Carnegie, the governors from member
of States. Sam Gompers and John
Mitchell and number of other charac.
tiers were on the stage at the same time,
while in the Washington Court House,
arguing an appeal from an Injunction
against Gompers, Mitchell and others,
| was the erstwhile Democratic candidate
for the presidency four years-age, Judge
Parker, of New York. ~ 80
/ Unofficial Washington is much inter
ested in the preparation for the inaugu-
ration, now but little more than three
months off. The work appears to be
going on very successfully. A large
sum of money for incidental expenses
has been subscribed. the manager of the
inauguration has been appointed a
| we'll known business man-and he has
| appointed treasurer, a secretary and
| an advisory committee with numerous
assistants The ceremony and the
pageant are of curse brief. The
events are all confined within twenty
four hours, but when it is considered
that the city is visited on the fourth of
March every four years, by from 15O,-
900 to 100000 people; that these
have to be Accommodated with bed and
board and temporary seats protected
from the weather, or otherwise, from
which to view the great civic and mill
ftary professions; that it is necessary for
the police force to be greatly strength
ened by special appointments: that
detectives have to summoned from
other cities to look our for the purses
and iewefry Of those who are careless
or drunk; that a great hall has to be
secured and deco rated for the inaugural
ball, with hat rooms, cloak rooms, re-
freshment rooms and with many other
details, the agitation and interest in the
celebration as affecting the denizens Of
the city will be appreciated. Every'four
years, Washington becomes more and
more capable Of receiving a transient
| population nearly equal in number to
its permanent inhabitants Since last
Inauguration, the New Union Station
has been completed. 1t is one of the
largest and finest terminals in the
worlds, being greater in length and
breadth, though not so high rs the Capt
toll of the United States. No matter
how greatths crowd may be, this Union
1 Station in its immense expanse, will
much more comfortably receive the
masses of visitors than two stations
which it has superseded.
| The hotel, boarding house and apart
ment house capacity of the city has also
been greatly increased, in anticipation
Of the Inauguration, the city is even at
at this early days showing an increase
in transient population. the hotels
are we'll filled and there are not so
many houses for rent as is usual at the
begin ming Of Winter.
| Five large Government buildings, the
new offices of the Senate, the new.
offices of the House Of Representatives,
the new Agricultural Department, the
new National Museum and the new
District Building, have been recently
or nearly completed. The Inaugural
ball will pro badly be held in the great
court Of the Pension Office where. ever
since the first inauguration Of Cleveland
these balls have been held. There is "a
movement afoot to build so-called
| "conyention hali' which it is intended
| sh.Il he used for inaugural balls in the