The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-05-29
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence

tor Hale had his first ride in an auto
mobile the other day, in Senator AID
rich's car. stipulating that the speed
limit should be five miles an hour. Il
took the car "a minutes 10 make the
trip to the treasury, but the return
trip was made in six minutes, and
there Is some chance that Maine peo-
pie may see the senator honk-konk-
ing through the country this summer
at 80 miles an hour
Chinese Minister Optimistic
Some of the pleasantest things that
the Chinese minister. Mr.. WI Ting
fang, says TO American audiences
and interviewers, in his gently hu.
morous way, are confrmatory OF the
statements concerning the greatness
of the country that he represents,
and this confirmation is employed
with the intention of convincing
America of the numerous reasons
why China and we should be the best
Of friends. Mr. WI does not fail TO
read the papers, or at least 10 have
communicated to him the important
news. He evidently has been read
ing all that was said at the governors
conference with the President on the
conservation of the nations resourc
es, and he has noted especially the
coal supply. SO he took occasion,
at recent dinner, 10 assure us that
we need not worry about a coal fam
inc, for one province alone in China
has coal deposits enough to supply
the world for 1000 years.
New Postal Regulation.-The post
master-general has issued an order
that hereafter postal stations for the
receipt and despatch of mails that
are outside Of the corporate limits OF
cities shall be known as branch post.
Offices and shall be separately enter.
ed in the postal guide in alphabetical
order in the list of postoffices. In the
case of Cambridge, Mass, for in.
stance, which has heretofore been
known as Cambridge station of the
Boston postoffice the patrons were
unable TO have special request envel-
opes issued to them with the return
card, Cambridge, Mass" printed
thereon. Under this new order Cam
bridge will be listed in the postal
guide in its proper alphabetical order,
will have a postmark Cambridge,
Mass" and the patrons will be able
20 obtain special request envelopes
with the names of their city printed
thereon. These changes will go into
effect with the new issue of the pos
tai guide which will be ready for dis
tribution about the first of July.
A "Oo-Nothing" Session.-Legisla-
tive problems presented TO the pres
ent congress for solution, but unan-
swered, so far outnumber the actual
results that they may afford justifica-
tion of the charge in the approaching
campaign that the present has been
'"do-nothing" session. Msre impor-
tant questions have been presented
and discussed on which the public
generally or sections or classes de-
manded action than ever before in
the nations history. A majority of
these have been of President Roose-
velt's making. and listed among his
policies" Comparatively the enact,
ments have been few. On the other
hand, the aggregate of the appropria-
tions is great, and when the final fig
ures are obtainable il is not doubted
that they will exceed those of any
previous session in times of peace.
Conspicuous above all other questions
with which congress has dealt has
been the effort to pass an emergency
currency bill Thrust upon the atten-
ton of legislators at the opening of
the session by financial depression
that had not fully subsded, II was the
first big question to be considered.
Likewise it was the hardest TO meet,
and it did more to delay adjournment
than any other measure.
Subsidy for Mail Ships.-Congress
has taken an important step looking
TO the payment of ship subsidies, the
conferees on the postoffice appropria-
tion bill having agreed to accept the
amendment by the senate authorizing
the postmaster general to contract
with steamship lines running to ports
of South America. Philippine Islands,
Japan, China, and Australia, for the
carrying of mails and TO pay 10 ves-
sells of the second class the same
rate that is now paid on American
vessels of the first class to Europe,
and to vessels of the third class the
rate now authorized for vessels of
the second class. The strongest fight
ever made in congress for ship sub
sides was that led a number of years
ago by the late Senator Hanna. and
at that time the name subsidy" was
held up by the opponents of such leg
islation as a "bug-bear." His bill
was defeated. The shipping sub
vention" bill was then framed and the
senate passed il. but the house would
not have Il under any name. Senator
Gallinger. who was interested in the
movement from the start tried again