Norwich bulletin., 1919-07-08
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
Especial to The Bulletin.)

U&AeAAAAS0AO4v 1AA x1AAAO Especial to The Bulletin.)
 Washington, D. C., July 7.-Congress is now finishing week of recess after one of the most strenuous six weeks work it ever accomplished. Since the convening of the extra Session, May 19h, until the recess was taken al midnight. July 1st, there has not been an idle minute. Long, daily sessions important and heated hearings before the committees, frequent night ses- sions, followed close on the heels of the days recess for dinner, and to- wards the last conferences that last ed far into the night over the great supply bills which had been changed by senate or house and must be agreed
 to before final passage. Agreement to only after hot discussion and per-
 sonal bitterness. But in the end and
 approximately two billion dollars was saved by republican retrenchment over
 the bills as recommended and urged
 by the democrats last March in their
 for the year beginning July 1st. 1919.
 As it is billions of dollars have been
 provided for by legislation; many of
 the war emergency bureaus and ad-
 ditional working forces have been
 topped off; and much has been ac-
 complished in the way Of reducing
 government expenses. The supply
 bills are all pasted and are now
 waiting the signature or the president.
 That will not be until eight days aft
 unless a ship bearing the bills is sent
 out to meet the president, as was
 done in the case of the railroad bill
 which he signed in midocean. And it is said here that a most conservative
 estimate of the cost of so signing by sending a special ship overseas was
 not less than $40,000 to the tax pay CTS.
 The war created a new Washington, and one that not in the least re- sembles the beautiful leasurely capi- tai of a few years ago. That splendid and rare type of a big city seems lost in the hustle and hustle of today, and in its place has sprung up the con fusion and noise of a great metropolis The old Washington was residential, official and departmental There were no factories, no rush and rumble of commerce, and although it was even then a city of three hundred people it possessed the attractions of sub urban life coupled with the attractions of a well regulated residential city. Its parks were the pride of the coun- try, and it's broad avenues-some of them 150 feet-were safe and sane places where one rode or motored under the great trees which double line them, undisturbed by the clan and dim of the average city. But the war brought not less than one hundred thousand war workers to Washington. There was no place to house them, the street railroads were entirely in- adequate to provide transportation. Buildings were erected on the most impossible spots. Fine parks were into stucco villages. trees of a century's growth were sacrificed, wooden platforms for load ing and unloading passengers from street cars sprung Up to mar the beauty of the broad avenues. Prices at hotel and restaurants scared sky high, street traffic has assumed enor- nous proportions and the sidewalks which are twice as wide as is usual in cities are thronged with residents and sightseers in never ceasing crowd. The man who gets a foot hold on car step or a grip on car or car step is counted lucky in the rush hours of the day. Oldtimers sigh for the city of before -the-war.
 The "OIe swimming hole" is one of the summer fads this year. Every before seven a goodly num- her of members of congress go to the Potomac tidal basin for plunge be C.'s but it is quite the fashion for the younger set to take before breakfast swim. Its no uncommon sight to see a big car speeding down Pennsylvania avenue at an early hour driven by pretty girl in bathing
 
 other girls and young men in the same sort of togs And those bath ing suits by the way are built on lines warranted not to hamper the swim 11er. No skirts bother the girls. The bath ended they dry off on the sandy beach then speed hack home to dress. Its quite the fashion for the same ath- etic type of girl to ride at evening along the equestrien paths of the speedway bordering the Potomac. She 1a7a Ia~ T-fI e-,1it af goes to the speedway a couple of miles pr more distant. by auto or street car, where the horses and escort wait her. And the up-to- da te suit this year con- sists of a pair of linen riding trousers to the knee where they are net by leather boots; a short riding coat of the same material. That's all. And does some one ask what has be- come of all those dainty little ladies who not long ago could swim and ride n splendid fashion even though a 'kirt was somewhere in sight? Well. there ain't no such animal" now, or f there is she's been caged as a rara wis.
 The Weeks forestry law gets a small appropriation for continuance If the work. The committee on agri- ulture did not feel it could continue he two million dollars year which 1 lad expired by limitation, but finally 1 greed to an appropriation of sS00.- | o0 year so the work need not be topped. Another item of interest to | Jew England was the appropria tion l f $500, 900 for an interstate bridge | etween Maine and New Hampshire, | tarting at Portsmouth so the navy ! ard would be benefited. New Hamp l hire and Maine through their legis- | at lures have appropriated s50o.00O 1 ach so the bridge will be built in the | ear future and will replace the old | oil bridge which is now the only | link between the states at hat point
 Senator FernaId of Maine is getting ly digs in the ribs from his colleagues | nd friends who say he must have | good old New England conscience | hat let's him sleep through fire and | rater." The large hotel in which the enator makes his Washington home l Fas badly damaged by fire a few tights ago. It was confined to the 1 asement and the guests were not wakened by the management who cared a panic Many of the guests lept through the noise and excitement