The Survey, Quarantine, Immigration, and Life-Saving bureaus are next in importance. Along the coast new harbors and coast lines are constantly being surveyed. When the quarantine officer boards your ship at the entrance of New York harbor, and scares you thoroughly lest he keep you in quarantine for the sake of some poor Italian baby in the steerage, he represents the Secretary of Commerce guarding a great nation from disease. When the immigrant lands he is interviewed by an agent of this department and his money changed into United States currency. Some of these agents recognize in the poor, frightened, lonely, and travel-stained foreigner a human being who needs a friendly word and helping hand, but others would scare even an American woman, who knows her own value, out of her wits; what, then, must be the effect of such men on the feelings of these strangers? Nearly a half million of foreigners a year enter our ports, and I have seen many of them treated like cattle. The Life-Saving Bureau has charge of the continuous line of life-saving stations which guard our coasts. No braver men have ever lived than the devoted servants of the government who patrol our shores. There are 269 life-saving stations on the coasts of the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Great Lakes, and one at the Ohio Falls, at Louisville, Ky. The men of these stations were present last year at 693 disasters and saved 3,377 lives. Our government pensions soldiers and sailors who are hired to destroy lives; surely greater pensions should be awarded these heroes of the main for saving life. XXVIII THE EXECUTIVE MANSION THE President's house is generally known as the White House. It is situated on Pennsylvania Avenue, one mile west of the Capitol building. It contains two lofty stories above ground and a basement. [Illustration: MRS. WILLIAM H. TAFT (Copyright, 1908, by Harris & Ewing, Washington. D. C.) ] It was modeled after the palace of the Duke of Leicester by the architect, James Hobon. The foundation was laid October 13, 1792, and the building was first occupied by President John Adams in the summer of 1800. It was partially burned by the British in 1814. The front is ornamented by Ionic columns and a projecting screen with three columns. The space between these two sets of columns constitutes a carriage-way, admitting to the main entrance. The White House proper contains but thirty-one rooms. The building was refitted and the wings for approach and for the private offices of the President were built during the administration of President Roosevelt. Whether seen through the tracery of leafless trees or through the verdure of summer, the White House always looks cool, restful, and beautiful. The situation is not regarded as very healthful, but everything that modern science can do is now being employed to improve its sanitary condition.