The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-03-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.


1t Is now expected that one of the most
important of bills. that relating to the
postal savings bank, will become law
during the present month. There has
been considerable opposition to the bill,
mainly from Democratic and insurgent
sources. Many amendments have been,
presented and some Of them accepted.
Senator Root Of New York, in advocacy
of the bill, has made the most forcible
speech of his Senatorial career. It is
understood that he voices the views of
the President. 1t is Expected that the
bill will add greatly to the strength of
the financial situation in this country
and the fact that it has long been in use
in conservative foreign countries will
recommend it to rejecting people in
America.
1t is, thought also that the bill fixing
| the last Thursday in April for new
inaugural day, will be adopted. Chang
| ing the date for the Inauguration of a
president from the 4th of March to Mhe
later date involves an amendment to the
Constitution Of the United States, and
will therefore have to receive atwo-tl1irds
vote of Congress and asfnajority vote Of
three-fourths of the forty-six States
through their legislatures, before it can
become law The change in date is of
the greatest Importance, for the weather
on March 9th is seldom pleasant, and
occasionally, as on the day of President
Grants second inauguration and the last
4th of March, it is bitterly cold and
tempestuous. The National Capital is
rapidly growing in improvements and
accommodations for visitors and also in
accessibility to all parts of the country,
and the travel to the city for the quad
rennial inaugural event is steadily in
crossing in volume 1t becomes Of i'm
portance, not so much TO the citizens Of
Washington, most Of whom have at least
bed and board, but to the two or three
hundred thousand visitors who come here
TO witness the imposing ceremonies and
parades attendant upon the inauguration
of the President-elect.
~
Thirty or forty years ago there was
serious consideration of a project to re.
move the national capital farther west, or
nearer the geographical center. This
project or dream has long since been
abandoned, Nothing but disruption of
the country or revolutionary upheaval
can be able to fix the capital elsewhere.
and in such an event there would be
more than one, and perhaps more than
half dozen capitals in the Disunitcd
States. Distance is no longer geograph-
ical question. but question of time, and
Washington is quite as accessible by
steam, electricity and gasoline, to say
nothing of the areoplane, as any other
locality in the Union. The capital is be.
coming more and more firmly rooted by
millions spent for marble and granite
Offices in which the stupendous work of
the nation is transacted. A bill is now
under consideration in the Senate for the
appropriation of twenty million dollars
to be raised by two per cent government
bonds for the erection of needed govern.
ment offices. SAT present the government
is paying from ten to seventeen per cent
annually on the value of inferior rented
buildings necessary for desk and file
rooms for the thousands of government
employees who make their homes here.
That to pay ten or seventeen per cent for
poor building when the government
can get the better building for two per
cent is not business-like. may be demon
strated to child.
ex*
The whole country by this time must
have heard of a somewhat unique under
taking, the building of memorial tenn
pie in Washington in honor of the Father
of his Country. The undertaking is
unique only in the fact that woman,
Mrs. Dimmick, is most active in urging
it, that it has the enthusiastic and active
approval of the President, of Senator
Root and of many men distinguished in
national affairs The pronosaI ie that II