Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-10
Daily kennebec Journal.
A BUSY SESSION.
Names Congressional Dele
cation Hard at Work.
Senator Hale's denomination Received
With Pleasure by Both Parties.
Former Maine Man Will Be Prominent in Mic
arasua Canal Legislation.


matter or another that is engrossing
the attention of the House. or course
Speaker Reed is always tied down to
Washington with the duties of his Of
flee. The Speaker is not essentially a
hard worked man, but his duties are
exacting and he conscientiously attends
to them. Every noon when the hands
of the clock point to IL, provided it be
a day when the House is in session.
Speaker Reeds great form will be seen
punctually pushing through the swing
ing green doors that lead from the long
rear lobby to the hall of Representa-
tives. He strides up the marble steps,
grasps the gavel in his hand, and the
loud thwack announces that the House
is in session. The Speaker is always
nearby to assume the gavel when the
House is in session and no one has
ever seen any ground to charge him
with neglecting the duties of his office.
Were he able to be about Represen-
tative Dingley would probably be the
busiest man on the Maine delegation.
because, besides his duties as floor
leader of the majority, he would have
to attend to his duties as a member OF
the Anglo-American commission.
the members of the House from Maine,
who went home during the holidays.
returned here promptly when the
| House resumed it's sessions and is ex-
ceedingly busy these days in framing
the naval appropriation bill, which the
committee on naval affairs win report
within week or two. That is one of
| the great appropriation bills of the
| House and requires weeks Of hard la
Dor for its preparation. The commit
tee is on the northwest corner of the
House wing of the Capitol on the same
! floor of the hall of Representatives
| and members of the committee can
| generally be found there at all hours Of
the day working on some parts of the
| bill.
| Representative Burlegh of Augusta
who has not yet completed the unex-
| pired term of Representative Milliken.
also has his hands full of congressional
work. something that does not fall to
the lot of every new member of Con-
| gress. The committee on public build
ings and grounds is having very busy
time. giving hearings to delegations
that want public buildings. The rooms
of the committee are frequently crowd
ed with these delegations in the morn
ing. Important bills carrying millions
of dollars of appropriations, will be re-
ported from the committee at this ses-
sion. Gov. Burleigh is one of the Re-
| publican members of that committee.
as he is Of the committee on militia,
| which is having an important part 10
play in the framing of army legisla-
| ton. That committee will have to
closely guard the welfare of the militia
| and volunteer army organizations i'll
this session of Congress as paving the
way for legislation in their own partic-
ular line at the first session of the Seth
Congress.
On the Senate side both Senators
Hale and Frye are up to their ears in
work Senator Hale has an active par
ticipation in the preparation of the
great appropriation bills, many of
which he has direct charge of in the
Senate chamber. He hurried back
from Augusta, where he received his
unanimous denomination, to be able to
take up his work here. The senator
received many cordial congratulations
| at the treatment he received at the
hands of the Republican caucus and
members of all political parties re-
ioiced at the return of such an able
| statesman. That is one of the strong
points in Senator Hale's career in being
| able to command the respect of all
men and enables him to carry through
many measures here in the face oil
strong opposition.
Senator Frye likewise has more to dc
than ought to be expected of sena-
tor. He has been the presiding officer
of the Senate for several days by viz
tue of his election as President pre-
tempore of the Senate, Vice President
Hobart being i'll with the grip. Soon
the senator will have his hands full
with the Spanish treaty
which is to be reported from the Sen
ate committee on foreign relations OF
which he is tho ranking Republican,
member, next to Senator Davis OF
Minnesota. Senator Frye is also the
| chairman of the committee on COM
merce. which will have charge of the
| river and harbor bill that the House
is expected to pass sometime during
January
former Kennebec county man will
T have an important part in framing the
Nicaragua canal bill for the consldera-
| ton OF the HOUSE. ne 10 INcPA 0"S'1-~
tive Loren Fletcher of minneapolis
; who was born at Mount Vernon, Me-
April 10, 1883 Mr.. Fletcher attended
the Maine Wesleyan Seminary al
Kent's Hill, and for three years just
preceding the war worked in a mercan-
. tile and lumber establishment in Ban
gor. as a clerk. He is a man of small
: statute physically. has iron gray nan
and mustache, black eyes, and on the
5 whole is rather striking in his appear
ance. Mr. Fletcher was elected to the
i SD Congress by good Republican ma"
J iority and has served in Congress con-
: tinuously since that time. He ranks
5 next to the chairman, Col. Pete Hep
!, burn of Iowa. on the interstate COM
merce committee.
That committee will take up the
I question of a Nicaragua canal, THIS
week. and will probably work at it con-
tinuously till the subject is disposed Oh
G II is known that Mr.. Fletcher is al
e earnest friend of the canal but he IA
: yors government construction ane
q ownership Mr.. Fletcher has been {
useful member of the House, and VII
undoubtedly take no insignificant par
hill C