Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-10
CAPITAL GOSSIP.
The Distances Travelled by Our
Maine Congressman.
First District Patronage--Mr. Little
fields Friendly Tilt With Tayler.
Mr.. BurIeish Wants the Lawrence Claim Sent
to the Court Of Claims.

Washington, d. c., Jan. 9-(SpeciaD
The distance that members of Con
gress have to travel to attend to their
legislative duties here is no urimpor-
tant item. Some years ago, when il
was proposed to have a delegate in
Congress from Alaska it is said that
the enormous milage he would draw,
10 cents a mile both going and coming
for every session, was the important
factor in defeating the measure. How
ever that may be. it is fully 500 miles
between Washington and the residence
OF the future delegate in Congress
from Alaska. The late Representative
DiHgley of Lewiston. is reported t.
have figured this out pretty carefully
in the 54th Congress, when he was
scheming. as one of the Republican
leaders of the House. to keep down ex-
penditures and save as much money TO
the United States treasury as possible.
If anybody in Maine We're asked how
far the members of Congress from the
Pine Tree State had to travel to their
seats in House and Senate the chances;
are nine out of 10 that he would not be
able to tell. People are so apt to
measure railroad travel by time in
stead of miles that actual figures in
the latter regard are not often consid-
cred, whereas in travelling on foot or
by carriage time is less frequently
mentioned and the distance in miles
is mentioned. Senator Hale has the
longest distance of any of the Maine
members of the National Congress. 1t
is approximately 735 miles between
Washington and Ellsworth. From
Washington to New York it is 22S2
miles and from New York to Boston it
is exactly four miles further than from
Washington to New York. or 232 >
miles. From Boston to Portland it is
los miles and from Portland to Ellis
worth 166 miles.
Representative Boutelle also has a
very long journey to travel between
Washington and Bangor, .oi.4 miles.
for it is PA miles from Boston to Ban
gor. Between Washington and Lewis
ton, the home of Senator Frye. it is
60i4 miles; between Washington and
Augusta, the home of Gov. Burleigh. i.
is 631.i between Washington and
Rockland. the home of Representative
Littlefield, it is 625.4 miles: and be-
home of Representative Allen. it is
SO miles. All these distances
are approximate and do not
cover the distance across New York
City and across Boston, which would
be fully two miles more.
Representative Allen has not vet
reached the end Of his labors as the
dispenser of big patronage in the LIST
District, for he has the beStOWal of the
postmastership of Portland with sal
airy of $4,000 only few weeks ahead
Of him and emiSsarieS of candidates
for the office at Brunswick are in
Washington working might and main.
1t has been many years since new
member Of the House from Maine has
come into office with SO many knotty
patronage problems confronting him.
Here is a list of some of the big offices
and their salaries that he has already
disposed of or must soon dispose of:
Office. Salary
Collector at Portland. $GoC0
Appraiser at Portland. 1000
Deputy Collector at Portland, 900
Postmaster at Portland, 3i00
This list and other small offices that
he has determined upon since he cam"
into his commission as member OF the
House will make total Of salaries
larger than the four Representatives
in the House from Maine draw from
the government
The tilt that Representative Little
field had with Chairman Tayler Of tn
special committee to investigate the
Roberts case. last week. has attracted
some attention here. Mr.. Littlefield
agreed with the views entertained by
Representative DeArmond of Missouri.
that some latitude should be allowed
Mr.. Roberts in his argument as con-
sidera BILE latitude had been allowed to
attorneys and others in arguing the
Gentle side Of the case. The contrO
versy was entirely friendly one but
showed explicitly that Mr. Littleteld
would not be dominated by the will OF
the chairman, preferring to think and
decide for himself.
REPRESENTATIVE Burleigh has intro
duced a bill for referring the claim OF
the estate of George w. Lawrence TO
the court Of claims. Mr.. Lawrence.
during the civil war. contracted toI
build the double-ender gunboat Was
si1c. In common with many other peo-
Me who had government contracts OF
his character he suffered heavy loss
from the sudden advance in the price
If labor and materials. This advance
was 50 unexpected and 50 marked that
it was claimed the government should
at least to some extent recompense
the contractor. Claims live long
time before Congress votes to pay
them. as the general run Of them
nroyes. and this claim for the estate OF
Mr.. Lawrence was one that the late
Mr.. Milliken urged for many years be