Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-02-28
CAPITAL CHAT.
Many Postmasters Asking for
Larger Salaries.
Senator HaIe's Work Upon the Pacific
Cable Project.
AWar Tine Claim iron Bath-Modest Fur
nishings Of the Senate.


great many fourth-class postmasters
are sending petitions to members of
Congress these days appealing for in
creases in their salaries. Some of these
petitions have come from the State of
Maine. The movement is a concerted
one and is intended to have influence
for the passage of Il bill introduced by
representative Cummings of New
York, February 16. Postmasters have
quite generally been informed Of the
character of the legislation desired and
il is not true of them, as is often the
case with petitions sent to Washington.
that the petitioners really do not know
just what they are asking for.
The bill provides a scale of wages
for fourth-class postmasters upon the
basis of a commission on the amount
of matter actually mailed at their Of
fees and on postage stamps due and
actually affixed and on matter mailed
on railway postal ears, steamboats,
and with carriers and credited to their
offices. The bill also gives them q COM
mission on amounts received from
waste paper, dead printed matter and
Irvine sold. The bill gives these fourth
class postmasters on the first 500 or
less per quarter a commission OF l9o
per cent. and on the next 500 or less
per quarter 60 per cent; on the next
5000 or less per quarter 50 per cent.
and on all greater amounts 40 per cent
There is also a provision in the bill
that fourth-class postmasters shall re-
ceive the money paid for box rent.
Without regard at all to the merit
of the demand it is not at all probable
that fourth class postmasters will have
. their wages raised by this Congress
There is a general belief in Congress
that there are too many pressing de-
mands for Improvement in the postal
service in the matter of rural free de-
livery and in the matter of mail de-
livery by star route carriers to war
rant any greater expenditure at pres
ent for pOstmasters' salaries. Neither
the House nor the Senate is al all like
ly to have an opportunity to vote on
the question right away. as the postal
committees will not report on the
measure for some time, if at all.
Every year the secretary Of the Sen
ate has to report on the different arti-
cles of property that belong TO the
United States Senate. One would sup
pose at first thought that the furniture
of such a magnificent chamber as that
in which the United States Senate sits
would have a long list of furnishings.
but on the contrary there are very few
articles to cnumerate. in fact, fewer
than in the cloakrOoms or in most of
the committee rooms. The report, this
wear, is made To Senator Frye, Presi-
dent Pro Tempore of that body. Here
is the brief list for the Senate cham
her: one clock, 81 senator's desks,
nine mahogany revolving chairs, one
carpet sweeper. TWO leather backed re-
volving mahogany chairs. one type
writer, 81 senator's chairs, three
lcatherette screens, three reporters ia
blcs a cuspidors. five cane seated ma
hogany chairs, two mahogany roller
top desks, one step ladder, five Their
mometcrs and one carpet. Perhaps it
is not necessary to mention that these
articles are all pretty expensive and
that the total cost of them represents
more money than many fine farm
in Maine would bring on the market.
When it comes to cloak room furni-
ture the senator's indulge in the best
of everything that there is. They have
il willow armchairs. two portable mir
rors, two clocks. six willow rockers,
two electric lighters for their cigars,
~ iedlIltT lounges anu ii Stplt VI plHtl
articles that would be tedious to
enumcrate. There are five costly linen
curtains, one grandfather's clock, one
thermometer. one barometer, one
bronze statute of Lincoln and lots of
other fine furnishings in the marble
room. The senator's always have their
quarters finished and furnished in the
most luxurious style and the govern
"a We for ? an I hn1 LOGS INN
tant the committee the more costly the
furniture, and the more frequently is
replenished
The cost Of employing civilian engi- |
ncers on river and harbOr work in
Maine for the past year is indicated i'll
a report just made by the secretary of
war to Congress. a. G. Both of Port |
land. Me, was employed seven months
on the Improvement of Portland harbOr |
at salary of $500 month. Mr.. w. f. |
Robinson of the same city. was en-
ployed seven months of the past yea"
on the improvements at Rockland. Ne. |
AT salary Of $50 month, and F. :. !
burroWes Of Portland. was employed |
Two months and IS days on the inn |
proVement at Union river and Cape
Porpoisc at a salary Of $50 a month. |
Jays OF work on the improvements in |
progress at Cleveland. Ohio. at a sal |
airy of $175 a month.
An interesting claim of Larrabne and |
Allen both of Bath, was favorably re-
ported to the Senate. the past week.
me Dill provides for the payment Of a |
H't'e over $4,000 on account of the con-
S'ruction Of the double-ender gunboat
iosco' Quilt by them at the beginning
Vi The Civil War. There have been
many OF these old gunboat claims and
several OF them have been settled by
congress although builders lost heay- i
ny curing the Civil War period because
ol the rapid advance of material and
We unusual terms imposed bv tba GOV
einineAt Mr. Allen has exactly the
ssihr name as the representative from
She FIRST Maine district.
senator Hale is making a Very com
pfehehsive examination into HI cast
.! ocean cables. The question Of . Pc
INC .n cable is under investigation BEFORE
one ne senate committee on naval affairs
\ rn many propositions have been ad-
LOT ITS construction Not in