The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-05-08
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence

| hi't'c oH ioIeIeu ItldllOnS lne Otler
day decided 10 report favorably bill
providing for the purchase abroad Of
American embassy. legation and con.
sular buildings and providing that
more than Sl,000,000 shall be appro-
priated each year for this purpose. For
this year the bill appropriates $780,
900 for the purchase of embassies at
for the purchase OF consulates at
Shanghai and Yokohama.
Electricity on Passenger Trains
| Cong. O'ConneH of Massachusetts
recently introduced in congress a bill
which, If passed will oblige railroad
and railway companies engaged in in
terstate commerce 10 give up the
practice of using gas, gasolene and
steam for lighting and heating rail-
| road cars. and compel them TO equip
| all passenger trains with electricity.
Mr.. O'Connell believes that if this
bill is made law the fatalities in rail
road accidents will be greatly re-
duced.
Money for Arbitration Expenses
| Secretary Cortelyou a few days ago
transmitted TO congress an estimate
for an appropriation of 100000 from
Secretary OF State Root TO meet the
expenses Of arbitrating the dispute
between the United States and Great
Britain arising out of the interpreta-
tion of the treaty of 1918 governing
| the Newfoundland fisheries Secretary
| Root explains that negotiations are
progressing with every prospect of the
| question being referred 10 The Hague
| tribunal. II is necessary to have the
appropriation asked for, he said, TO
enable the department to engage an
agent and counsel TO represent the L.
| 5. government in connection with the
| arbitration treaty recently ratified be-
tween the United States and Great
| Britain.
A Chief Of Cavalry-A strong recon-
mendation for an appointment of an
officer TO be known as chief of caval-
ry" has been made by a commission
| OF cavalry officers attached TO the
army staff college. 1t is argued that
the chief should be a member of the
general staff and head of the commit
tee considering questions relating to
the cavalry, having power to inspect
that branch Of the service for the pur-
pose OF ascertaining and of determin-
ing where the standards of efficiency
/ recommended may be maintained.
Move Toward Tariff Revision-The
first actual step toward tariff revision
was taken last week when Chairman
Payne of the ways and means commit
tee introduced a resolution in the
house authorizing the committee to
sit during the recess of congress to
gather tariff information. A tariff bi+is
will be ready for action by the house
at an extra session next winter. For
more than a month the ways and
means committee has been planning
for this action. The Payne resolution
did not come as a surprise to well in
formed members of the house. There
seems every reason TO suppose that
the Republican party is at last in
earnest about revision. The voices of
rhe reformers have been too unmis-
said that bona-fide effort to change
existing schedules will be made.
A Hamilton Statue-Eminent public
men in Washington, as we'll as distin-
guished civilians throughout the coun-
try, are stirring in behalf of the pro-
ject TO erect a statue of Alexander
Hamilton in this city The fact that
there is no such monument here is in
the opinion of the president, little
short of a national scandal" The
hackers of the plan hope 10 secure
100000 with which, they are conf
dent, a memorial worthy of "the
greatest constructive statesman of the
nation"-to quote Ambassador Bryce
can be designed and erected. Fortu-
nately the capital city is dealing with
problems of this kind now in a way
more conducive TO harmony and beau
| ty than was the case a generation ago;
| and popular national interest in such
worthy memorials is so much keener
| and more intelligent than it was that
a generous response TO the appeal
soon to be issued can reasonably be
expected. Naturally the memorial
would be placed near the treasury
building. Hamiltons fame is of the
kind that grows with time
Officials Pleased With the Fleet
Now that the battleship feet has sue
cessfully made the cruise from the
Atlantic to the Pacific there can be no
| harm in saying that the navy depart
ment officials are oyerjoyed at the
1 way i'm which IL has been done. be.
cause IL shows that the great fighting
vessels of the American navy can do
great deal better i'm actual work
than even the paper estimates. With
most navies IL is reversed. Ships that
make a high speed on trial trips sell
dom If ever are able to duplicate
them. and even those ships that de-
velop a burst OF speed on n dash can