The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-01-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Weekly News Briefs from the Ma.
tIOndI Capital.

The week just past has been marked
by the observance of delightful GUS
tom peculiar to Washington society
New Years Day is always a day
home for Washington society. On thi
day many homes will be found open to
welcome friends and acquaintance.
But the chief event is the reception of
the President of the United States at
the White House. President Taft was
able to return from Panama Just in
time to greet the thousands of people
who desired tn pay their respects to
him on the last New Year day of his
administration.
The University Club, composed of
college men from all over the country,
has opened its magnificent home, re-
Gently erected in the most fashionable
part of the city. Here will congregate
men distinguished for their learning and
literary ability, who will be the advis-
ers of President Wilson when he as
sumes office.
AS many young men will enter the
United States Senate on the 4th of
next March, there will be a strong
movement on foot to overthrow the
present method of making committee
appointments. In years past, ordina-
riiy, it has taken years of service in the
senate before senator obtained an in
fiuential committee assignment. The
democrats who will control after the
4th of March propose to see to it that
the young men have a chance,
Engineer Commissioner Judson. one
of the chief executive officers of the
government of the District of Colum-
bia, acknowledged, in congressional
investigation. that he had recommended
o man named lngham for appointment
as insurance commissioner of the Dis
trict because lngham was a relative of
Senator Gallnger, chairman of the SEN
ate committee for the District, altho
he did not believe that Ingham was
competent to fill the position Truly,
the federal administration of the af-
fairs of the national capital is not free
from the blight of national politics.
At midnight, Dec. 81, message, were
flashed, for the first time, from the
great wireless telegraph tower at Ar
lington, just across the river from
Washington, to the Eiffel Tower, Paris,
to the big wireless tower at Clifdon,
Ireland, and to points on the Pacific
coast.
A few seconds later Postmaster Gen.
eral Hitchcock naugurated a new ers
in the American postal service by send
ing the first package intrusted to the
new Parcels Post. Word comes t.
Washington that the first package
. mailed at Birmingham, Alabama, was ;
pitchfork. Eggs. bees and chickens
may now be sent to oil parts of tht
country, and borrowed umbrellas re
: turned by mail; but alcoholic liquors arr
barred.
Efforts are being made by the Wa
department to increase the strength o
the organized militia OF the United
States. There has been an increase o.
nearly ten thousand officers and mel
during the last year. And if the rec
concentrations Of the Secretary of Wal
are adopted, the state militia will be
brought into closer touch with the reg
ular army and made. thereby, more per
manent and efficient.
A striking feature of recent report
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion is. that large proportion of rail
accidents are caused by direliction OF
lduty of employees concerned; but tn,
Commission believes that railroad en-
gineers and trainmen have a keen ap
preciation of their responsibilities.
ii Washington, d. G..