Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-12-12
Woodstock Business cardS
NOTES FROM v ASHING7ON
Especial Correspondence.)

celebrated the anniversary Of theiI
marriage at st George in Londol
~ years ago. The president went In
the morning to the celebration at ST.
Partick's church of the Goth anniveT.
saTy Of the Austrian's EmperorS ac'
cession to the throne and in the after.
noon received the Chinese special en-.
vOy and suite in the east room of the
White House.
New Delivery Stamp.--ApprOyal has
been given by Postmaster-Geueral
Meyer to the new special delivery
stamp which viii be placed on sale
within the next 10 days. II is a radi.
cal departure from the conventional
United States stamp, being patterned
rather after stamps of French design
1t is severely plain. 1t measures about
one inch square. and is Of dark green
Runing diagonally across its face is
an olive branch, the leaves of which
entwne a Mercury hat. In the up
per left.hand corner is the inscrip
ton "l0c," while in the lower right
hanG -orner are the words ~. S. post
age, special delivery"
To Fill National Museum.-Presi
dent Roosevelt's trip TO Africa is pri
marily for the advancement of knowl
edge and the enrichment Of Collec
tions OF the National Museum in
Washington. Statements to the eff
feet that the game preserves in Afri'
ca under the control of the British
government were TO be opened to the
President and his companions, with
permission to shoot at will, have been
published. No advantage will be tax
en- of these offers, Mr.. Roosevelt haV'
ing made up his mind to decline TO do
any shooting except in places where
the hunting is open to all. 1t is Mr..
Roosevelt's hope to obtain for the
National Museum two adult speci-
mems, one of each sex, OF the ami
mails with which he is likely to meet
on the Dark Continent. For the Ordi.
nary needs OF museum, The Presl'
dent thinks that these will be sutti.
cient.
Cattle Disease Under ControI-Seo
retary Wilson declared the other day
that the foot and mouth disease
among cattle, which has been preVa.
lent in the states of Michigan, New
York, Pennsylvania and Maryland
was now under control. 1t is estimated
that 1000 animals have been de.
Stroyed. SO expensive has been the
campaign against the foot and mouth
disease in New York, Pennsylvania
Michigan and Maryland that Sec. VIII
son soon will ask congress for an en-
ergenCy appropriation Of $500, 900 The
U. s. government is to pay two-thirdS
OF the appraised value of the cattle
slaughtered, the state bearing the
rest. The cost of disinfecllng is paid
by the federal government and is en-.
ormous When the disease affected
the cattle in New England 100000
was pent, but little trouble was en-.
countered in ascertaining the origin,
while at present the experts have not
been so successful.
Agreement Notwithstanding OF
State Elihu Root on behalf Of the
United States, and EOgoro Takahira,
ambassador. on behalf of Japan, eX.
changed diplomatic notes recently de-.
fining the policy OF the two govern.
mentS in the far east. Secretary Root
handed the ambassador a note which
bore his signature. and the ambassa.
dor gave Mr.. Root a paper defining
Japan's policy and bearing hts sigma.
ture. The ambassador and his secre-
tary left the state department, the
former with a smile on his face, in.
dicating great satisfaction with con.
clusion Of the exchanges. The ex.
change of notes Is based on the idea
of encouraging and defending free
and peaceful commercial development
in the Pacific, and to this end the
signatory powers have prepared a
series OF articles expressive OF their
intentions. Legislative action by the
senate is unnecessary, and the declRr.
alton or exchange of notes will not
have to be referred to that body. The
defamation Is not treaty-simply a
reaffirmation of what both Japan and
the United States have stood for in
China and in the far East generally.
r. r. o. Carriers Efficient-The an.
nual report of Fourth Assistant Post
master General p. V. De Graw an
nounces increased usefulness of the
rural free delivery service and rec.
ommends rural delivery Of packages
of IL pounds maximum at a special
postage and the uniforming Of rural
carriers. "A special reduced rate OF
postage for merchandise carried only
ably be OF material value to the retail
merchants on rural routes and at ru.
raj delivery distributing centres, az
we'll as enhance the influence OF the
rural service in making life In the
country more attractive" the report
states. The rural carriers In the ser
vice of which Mr.. De Graw Is the head
daily pass 1900, 900 homes. Their high
standard of efficiency is attested by
the fact that only 165 carriers out OF
q total number Of 39,143 were dis.
missed for cause during the past year
Rural delivery is now in operation in
943,4S7 miles of road, over which car
riers are required to travel daily
Since the service was first established
S7O,632, 1872 has been expended OF
roads traversed by rural carriers. The
estimate for appropriations necessary
for this service for the next fsca
year Is $36,246,OOO, an increase oi
$685. over the current appropria
tion.
President Roosevelt in letter to Wi.