Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-09-19
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence.)

tract for furnishing the Isthmian canal
commission with $4,000 barrels Of ce-
ment, in addition to the 4,500,O00 bar
Tels already. contracted for with that
company, has been awarded to a port
land cement company of Pennsylvania.
1t had been hoped that the work on
the locks at Gatun, Miraflores and at
Pedro Miguel would be begun about
Jan. l. as the original invitations for
furnishing the commission with ce-
ment contemplated that the deliveries
In large quantities should begin then,
but as the work of excavation for the
foundations of these locks has pro.
gressed, 1t has been found desirable
to make them deeper than was at
first thought necessary, in conse-
quence of which actual construction
work will be delayed until July next.
Act Unconstitutional.-W Atty.
Gen. Bonaparte was in conference
with President Roosevelt at Sagamore
Hill, the report Of the decision rend-
cred In Philadelphia by the U. S. cir
cult court, declaring the commodities
clause of the Hepburn railroad act un-
constitutional, was conveyed to the
presidents home by the Associated
Press. The president and the attor-
ney general Immediately took up the
matter and came to the conclusion
that the department of justice should
take an appeal from the decision.
When Mr.. Bonaparte was asked II he
had any statement to make regarding
the decision, he replied that he had
none, except that he would imme-
diately take steps to appeal,
Brownsville AHalr.-Mr. Drew admits
that there is some dissatisfaction
with the republican party among the
negroes, but says that 1t is disappear
ing rapidly as result of the educa'
tional campaign. Mr.. Drew does not
concede that there is any other cause
Of dissatisfaction than the Browns
VILE affair 1T is true" he says,
that many negroes deplored the dis
charge of 167 colored soldiers, but
most of the race is now convinced that
the President did not order their dis
charge because they were black men.
He proved recently that he is not
prejudiced when he dismissed sever
al white cadets from West Point.
Mr.. Foraker is the idol of the race
at this time. He has done a great
work for us and we will not soon for
get him." Mr.. Drew admits that Dr.
CT
ciated with him, like William M.
Trotter, the Boston Negro editor, but
asserts that most of them have al
ways been democrats and their infiu"
ence will not count for much with
their race.
Extends Present Plan.-"The men
who are opposing Mr.. Bryan's scheme
to guarantee national bank deposits
seem to forget that there is already a
law in force to guarantee that a ma
tional bank note presented at the
treasury can be Immediately re-
deemed in lawful money that Is, in
notes issued by the government. That
law has been in operation since the
establishment of the national banking
system, and If it is deemed proper in
the one case, can see no reason why
1t is not equally proper in the other.
AS matter of fact, no one has ever
raised any objection to the guaran'
tee fund already In existence, and only
now that Mr.. Bryan has become a
presidential candidate Is any cry
raised against the other plan. What
Is in the interest of the noteholder
is equally for the interest of the de-
positor." This was the comment made
today by the president of western
national bank, who is now in Wash
Ington. After remarking that the
guarantee plan was extremely popu'
lar in the West, he continued, every
national bank before it begins
business must deposit with the
treasurer of the United States,
subject to the disposition of the
controller of the currency, sum OF
lawful money equivalent to per-
cent of the circulation that the bank
takes out, this circulation, as OF
course you know, being already se'
cured by U. 8. bonds, so that whether
the bank Is solvent rlnsolvent lts
notes are always good"
Files at WilI.--In fight last ing !
hour 10 minutes 26 seconds, OrYille
Wright surpassed all his previous eX-
ploits for q time and distance flight
for a heavier-than-air machine. Two
ok
the first being of 10 minutes so Sec
onds duration to show at what rate OF
speed he had been travelling during
his long fights of the past three days.
his long flights of the past three days
test demonstrated, according to the
aviator's calculation, that the speed
Of the aeroplane during the record
breaking flights was 1915 miles an hour.
"I have a time and distance apparatus
attached to the aeroplane," he ex-
planned, "but as 1t registers only 10
kilometres without repeating | have
to make short fight to determine the
speed at which the machine travels
through the air. | desired principal.
ly to compare my rate here with that
made at Kitty Hawk, N. c." To
those who have witnessed Mr..
Wright's flights from the beginning,
the results, marvellous as they are,
are now regarded as a matter OF
course, but the majority Of those who
Witnessed his last long flight were
reused to great enthusiasm when the
aviator for the third successive day
broke his best previous record. For 81
times the machine passed over the
starting point during the 20 minutes
&c seconds that 1t was up. Twice
the aeroplanIst described the figure
IS" in the air, showing for the first
time during his Fort Mger flights
that he could control his machine In
any direction.