Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-12-24
NEWS FROM
WASHINGTON

cided that it will be impossible for
him TO complete any of the special
m sra yes or which he purposes
sending to Congress before the holi.
day recess. He has, moreover, de-
termined to submit a special mess
age on the needs of Porto Rico and
the Philippines and is seriously con-
sideriDg- writing another on the af-
fairs of the District of Columbia. In
his message on the Insular possess
ions he viii urge that citizenship be
conferred on the residents of Porto
Rico and the establishment OF cen
tral health bureau for the island and
he will ask authority 20 create a civ
Il pension list for the Philippines to
be met out Of the revenues Of the is.
lands. If he finally decides to dis
cuss District of Columbia affairs in
q special message he will doubtless
urge the institution of legal proceed
ings with view to testing the con.
stitutionality of the Act of Congress
by which that part of the district on
the south side of the Potomac was
ceded to Virginia. Mr., taft holds
the view that the law was unconsti-
tutiopal and that the territory which
now forms Alexandria County, Va,
IS legally still part of the District.
The Smithsonian Institution has
placed ON exhibition the trophies OBJ
tanned by the Roosevelt expedition
in South Africa. This Collection is
declared by the regents and by scien
fists connected with the Institution
to be the finest it has ever received
It includes 243 specimens of large
mammals. 800 Of small mammals,
| 1866 birds and something over $500
sheets of plants. There are, more
over, number of human skulls
picked up along the line of an old
slave train which constitute a valua
bic contribution to the anthropologic-
al division. The receipt of this col
lection is most gratifying to the
attaches of the Institution, especially
as it has entailed no expense, the
funds being raised by private contri-
button.
Two old oil paintings have been in
spring patriotism from. the walls of
the Senate corridor for years. One
of Thomas Jefferson, with austere
brow, has furnished an excellent ex-
ample to present day statesmen. The
other is of Patrick Henry, the Vir.
ginian orator, who has numerous i'm
itators as the Congressional Record
will testify. For years these paint.
ings have hung undisturbed with a
small gold inscription under each Civ
ing the name of the original. A day
or two ago Eugene W. Chain, former
prohibition esnidate for president,
was admitted to practice before the
Supreme Court and while walking
through the Capitol he stopped be-
fore the picture marked with the
name of Jefferson. "That is not
Thomas Jefferson" Mr.. Chain re.
marked to a friend "Or, if it is the
years have made decided changes in
him." He then turned to the pic
ture marked Patrick Henry. "And
that certainly is not Patrick Henry"
declared Mr.. Chain with vehem-
ance. He was puzzled. In a mo-
meut he discovered that Henry's
name was under Jefferson's portrait
and vice versa. He Immediately no
titled the superintendent of the Cap
itol and the mistake was rectified.
They are still wondering at the Cap.
itol what errors anolher prohibition
ist might discover.
Senator Hale. who is earnestly
opposed to authorizing two new
battleships and a collier or a repair
ship at this session of Congress, has
called attention to one of the most Sc.
rious needs of the Maya material
increase In the personnel. Captain
Usher, Acting Chief of the Bureau of
Navigation, sent to the Naval Com.
mittees Of Congress only few days
ago an earnest recommendation that
provision be made for two thousand
additional enlisted men and Mr..
Hale believes that this increase is
far more important than an increase
in ships. Some conception of the ex
isting situation may be gained from
the fact that among the three cruisers
the st, Louis, the Milwaukee and the
Charlestown, all on the Pacific, there
is only one full and two reserve
crews. The vessels require a crew of
500 men each but when one of them
goes into commission it is necessary
TO take ont the other two, leaving on
each ship a reserve crew of 1s0 men.
WANTEDl