The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1910-03-24
WASHINGTON LETTER

BY CARL scHoFIELD. Special corre-
spondent.
Officers of the George Washington
Memorial association and others inter-
ested in the erection Of memorial
building to the first president OF Tue
nation are formulating plans TOT an
extensive campaign in the District OF
Columbia @
Memorial to Washington.
The George Washington Memorial
association was incorporated here IN
September, 1898, for the purpose OF
erecting at the national capital build
ing to be known as the George WASH
ington Memorial building" in COM
memoration of the interest taken by
the first president in higher education
in America
The memorial building which 1t Is
proposed to erect III furtherance OF
this idea is to be practical in plan ana
construction. Of durable character
and an architectural feature or the
capital 1t is planned to have 1t USED
as :, home and gathering place for ma
tional, patriotic. scientific. educatlonal.
literary. art. medical and other similar
organizations that may need such &C
cOmmOdatiOnS.
To Contain Big Auditorium.
1t has often been pointed out that
the national capital is the appropriate
meeting place for all organizations
that are national in character, and yet
many of them are deferred from COM
ing here owing TO the lack OF suitable
accommodations for large conventions
The proposed memorial building will
contain a great hall or auditorium,
probably as spacious as any in the
country, and other rooms for the meet
ing Of congresses or conventions or
smaller size. office rooms for the head
quarters of the various organizations
that may be associated with the prof.
ect and students research rooms.
1t is proposed by the association to
raise $2,OO0.0O0 for the building and
$5O0.OO0 as an endowment for mainte-
nance. so that societies and cOnven-
tons may use the building without
charge.
The ChiIdren's Tribute.
Every child is asked to wear a
George Washington button, which
costs 10 cents. From this fund it is
hoped to build one wing of the build
ing. which will be the children's trib-
nte to Washington.
The entrance fee for association
membership is So which will cover
the dues for the first year. to be re-
mitted to the treasurer. The annual
dues are So The fee for life member
ship is $500. \ receipt with engraved
head of Washington is sent to each
contributor. and his name and address
will be entered in the permanent rec
ord of the association.
Guides to Be Licensed.
The senate has approved a measure
providing for the licensing Of guides
at Washington The bill prescribes
that no person shall be licensed as
guide unless the commissioners of
the District are satisfied he is per-
son Of good moral character and is
qualified to render the service for
which he is to be licensed" and the
commissioners may prOmulgate regu-
lafiOnS for the prevention of fraud
and imposition by such guides upon
the person employing them, for the as
certainment of these qualifications and
may provide penalties for the viola
ton of the regulations
Each guide must pay an annual Ii
cense tax Of So There is also clause
requiring peddlers to pay an annual
tax of sos
Washington Masonic Relics.
Prominent MasOns from all over the
country met the Alexandria Washing
TON lodge at Alexandria, Va. recent
ly to discuss plans for building a Ma
sonic temple in Alexandria so that
proper provision may be made for the
care and preservation of the famous
Washington relics now in the custody
of that lodge.
The present temple in which the Vir-
ginia lodge meets is not the building
where w aS0lngtOn, us urSI master,
presided over its deliberations. The
original building was destroyed in
1871. and the present structure, which
Is part of Alexandria's city hall and
is given to the use Of the old Wash
ington lodge for ninety-nine years, was
erected on it's site. Fortunately almost
all the priceless curios which the old
lodge had accumulated were saved.
The chief losses were the glassware
used in the time of Washington,
which were taken by vandals Some
Of this was returned The masters
chair used by Washington, of leather
and inlaid mahogany, is now kept un-
der glass case and used only at the
installation of officers. but several of
the bent wood chairs used by the
brothers in Washington's day are still
In the possession of the lodge and in
use like other of the lodge furniture.
Valuable Mementos.
The only portrait extapt of Lord