Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-03-28
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence.)

(SpeClRl OOITebpoHughSSsJ
Liquor Traffic Bills Held up.-By a
vote OF to 2 the subcommittee OF
the Senate Committee on the judic'
tary has declared unconstitutional all
OF the bills intended to remove fed
eral barriers against states exercising
control OF their police powers for the
regulation of the liquor traffic. Hear
ings ON these measures have been
held covering almost the entire pres
ent session, and the bills were advo.
Gated by representatives of practical
ly all of the states where there is
strong prohibition sentiment
Mstealf to Investigate
Metcalf intends conducting an inVes.
tigation of his own into the question
of the waterlinO armor belt OF the bat
tleships, which some critics of the
navy have declared to be too low for
safety. He will call on Admiral Ev-
ans for data showing the draft Of tho
battleshlps respecting the armor belt
during their target practice at Magda-
lena bay. He will supplement this re-
port with some observations of his
own when he reaches San Francisco
to review the fleets there.
Or. Wiley May Resisn.--Dr, H. w.
Wiley, chief of the bureau of chem
istry of the department of agricul-
ture, and foe of adulterations in foods
and drugs, is reported to be serious
ly considering resigning from officG.
The manufacturers affected adversely
by the official rulings have long been
suspected of being in conspiracy to
oust Dr. Wiley. Protests first were III.
ed with Secretary Wilson, and later
were taken TO the President. DR.. WI.
ley's friends say he always has rem
dered his decisions with view to pro-
tScting the public first and the manu-
faCturers afterward.
Indians Visit President-Several
Indians from the Shoshone reserva
tiOn in Wyoming were received by
the President a few days ago. Sena-
tor Warren introduced them and Old
Little Wolf, chief of the tribe, gave
Mr. Roosevelt a stone pipe and to-
bacco pouch decorated with beads and
porcupine quills. Little Wolf is q
very old man, probably near the CEN
tury mark. though some of his tribes
men think he is nearer 200, as he was
an old man when some OF the other
veterans of the tribe were papooses.
In return for the pipe and tobacco
pouch the President gave his photo
graph to Little Wolf.
To Create National UnlVersity.-A
bill to create national university at
Washington was offered recently by
Representative Mckinley of Illinois.
The measure Is the one advocated by
the National Association of State Un.
iversity Presidents and was introduo-
ed at their request. The measure al
so has the Endorsement of the Nation.
al Educational association, Elmer B.
Brown, United States commissioner
of education, and other well-known ed
ucators. 1t calls for an initial appro-
priation of half million dollars In or
der to set the creative machinery for
the university In motion. The bill
does not contemplate the incorpora.
tion Of a school, but the creation Of q
university by the federal govern
ment which is to be department of
the government.
Young Man Who Does Things.-A
number of men to whom the PresL
dent happened to take a fancy have
been sent on missions in various d.
rections. One day last summer
young man from Iowa, Mr.. ]. c. Wei
liver, was q visitor to the White House
ofiees. He is an emphatic, outspok.
en- young man. In the course of q
conversation the President exclalmedi
Il would like to know somebody that
can tell me about the appraisal of rail.
roads" Il know all about that, Mr..
President" exclaimed the young To-
wan. Just the man L want to see"
was the reply. Come back here
Wednesday and l will talk with you"
The young Iowan, who had been liV-
ing in Washington year or two, re-
turned OF course. and he talked with
the President for long while. A
few weeks later he quietly disappear
cd from Washington. After a month
or two an American visitor at Swiss
consulate cut the trail Of Mr.. Welllver,
who by the Presidents authority was
on q three months tour Of Europe, In
tsrrogatlng divers officials over there,
and making 1t plain to them Just what
President Roosevelt did and did not
believe regarding railroad problems.
LlfesaVers VIM Representative
Lowering Of Massachusetts, last week
called up in the house, and had pass
ed, his bill to increase the efficiency
OF the livesaving service. This 40.
tion marked the elimination OF 10
years work on Mr.. Loverings part
In behalf of the lifesavers. Every
congress he has introduced his bill,
but has not been able to secure its
enactment. 1t is expected that the
bill will be passed by the senate soon.
Senator Frye has 1t in charge there
and he has assured Mr.. Lowering that
It win be favorably acted upon. The
bill provides for the promotion OF the
members OF the lifesavlng service,
daily ration, retired list upon which
they can be placed on part pay, and
for pensions Of widows and dependent
children of men who lose their lives
In the line Of duty. In explaining his
bill to the house Representative Low.
ering paid high tribute to the men
of the life-saving service He com.
pared them to the army and navy in
the Importance of the duty they per.
form, and dwelt at length upon the
perils they brave. Mr.. Lowering de-
elared that the life-savlng service is
badly crippled because, ON account of
the Increase Of living expense. many
OF Its best men had left It in order to