Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-05-30
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence.)

LOT f1dle Hdu MS UTSL rue III an duUO-
mobile the other day, in Senator AID
rich's car, stipulating that the speed
limit should be Ave miles an hour. 1t
took the car "a minutes to 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 30 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 confirmatory Of the
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 to 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
predictions of the exhaustion of our
coal supply. So he took occasion,
at recent dinner to assure us that
we need not worry about 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
mastergeneral 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 postofice the patrons were
unable to have special request enveI-
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
to obtain special request envelopes
u,ifh tho ropnac ~ fhoir oitu y,,infad
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 "Do-Nothine" 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 a
"do-nothing" session. More 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, it 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-
tion of legislators at the opening of
the session by a financial depression
that had not fully subsided, 1t 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 shps.-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 to YES
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 it. but the house would
not have It under any name. Senator
Gallinger, who was interested In the
movement from the start, tried again
at the present session, but he found
that sentiment was still opposed and
he finally directed his efforts to have
passed an act enabling the granting
of some encouragement to American
steamship lines to South America and
the Orient in the way of mail con-
tracts. In this effort he had the as
sistance of President Roosevelt and
Postmaster General Meyer. The bill
was passed by the senate but the
house ignored 1t. AS final resort the
bill was added to the postoflce APP
preparation bill in the senate, and 1t
is believed that the house will accept
IL