The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-11-07
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence

| When senators and representatives
the opening Of the second session of
/ the Sixty-frst congress they will find
| many improvements both in the main
capitol Itself and in the senate and
| house Office buildings Elliott Woods,
| superintendent of the capitol building
and grounds, has had large corps of
workmen busy putting things into
| shape fer the lawmakers ever since
| congress adjourned, and the work will
be continued right up to the opening
of congress.
The New Office Buildings.
While the senate and house office
| buildings had both been in use for
/ some time, they were not complete,
particularly their decorations. In the
senate office building the rooms were
bare. except for the handsome furni-
| ture which had been installed; the cor
ridor walls were blank and white, and
| the approaches and entrances were
not finished. During the summer the
| entrance nearest the capitol has been
completed, smooth sidewalks have
been laid along the front of the build
ing, the terraces have been completed
and turfed. and senator may enter
his office now without getting covered
with dust.
The Senator'S Quarters.
The rooms. or. rather, suits of rooms,
| allotted the senators have been paper
ed and painted according to the de-
sire of each Individual senator when
he made such request A large num-
Der of the senators left the decorating
of their offices TO Mr.. Woods, relying
upon his good taste in the selection of
colors. But there are other more fas-
tidious senators who have ideas of
their own about the harmony in col
ors. and these gave careful instruc-
tons to Mr.. Woods before they left
which were to adorn their offices. A
general canvass of their rooms shows
that light green predominates on the
walls, with light blue and buff second
and third in preference. The rooms
were already furnished with hand
some rugs. in many cases, and the wall
paper has been made to harmonic.
Changes at the Capitol.
In the capitol building itself there
are many repairs and improvements
under way. all of which will be fin
ished by December Two new cleo
trio elevators are being installed in
the senate wing, one to replace the old
hydraulic lift which was designated
for the exclusive use of the supreme
court and the members of congress
and the other an entirely new elevator.
which will be used by the public. This
new elevator is situated just opposite
the old public elevator. at the east en-
trance to the senate wing. 1t has
been found necessary to install this
additional elevator because the sena
tors wished the old public elevator to
carry them down to the subway lead
ing to the Office building The work
on the elevators is still going on and
will not be finished until just before
congress assemblies.
The Central Power Plant.
Work on the central power plant,
located near Garfield park. which will
furnish the capitol. the senate and
house office buildings and the Congress
sional library with light, heat and
power, has progressed rapidly, and it
is hoped that this plant, which win be
l,x, 20 fV1 rnaS4 r.fi +S bind In,
ington. will be ready for use this win
ter. 1t has been the dream of the
governmental economists to build a
central plant to furnish all the govern
ment buildings. from the White House
TO the capitol, with heat and light,
and this new plant is the first result
of their plan.
White House Reforms.
When Mrs. Taft entered the White
House at the emo of her summer vaca-
ton she found there many important
changes, In the planning of the most
significant of which she was the guild.
ing spirit. While the wife of the pres
ident has followed the advice of her
physicians and RETAINED from formu
lating any program for the coming
winter. her prompt inauguration of
many reforms in the domestic econo-
my of the chief of American homes
has already borne fruit.
Mrs. Roosevelt, who brought with
her from New York number Of
white maids and nurses. drew a dis
tinction between upper and flower
servants, the distinction running
through every relation in life below
stairs. Mrs Taft has eliminated the
actual as we'll as the Imaginary line
as to privileges. food or compensation.
so that there are now no social dis
tinctions in the kitchen, aud the same
consideration is shown for one set of
workers as for another.
Servants on Equal Plane.
There are still two tables. the white
and black being served separately, but
the quality of the food is the same for
both. Mrs Taft is following the same
rule that has marked her housekeeping
for the last twenty-five years, from its
i,,oy in thn tsiuI,t rom cptfo pa in