Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-06-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
News and Notes of Special Interest to
Hancock County Readers.


I ftHiUt utttEbbi0ut III MnOAA EsttNaif&&
people are more directly interested.
Favored in this regard beyond any city
4 OF its size in Maine, Ellsworth has two
representatives In the national Congress,
the senior senator from Maine, who is q
towusman, and ex-Gov. Bnrleigh, the
| third district representative in the
House. Lewiston is similarly favored in
much larger city.
Senator Hsle's cosy committee room
on the southeast upper corner OF the
Senate wing Is the scene these days OF
| important sessions, " here the question of
| millions of expenditure Of pablic money,
aud the questions OF policy in construct
ing wsrships and administering naval
affairs, are in large measure determined.
With all the promptness and aeumen of a
careful business man that he Is, the SEN
stor is spending many hours there recent
| ly, apart from bis duties on the floor,
shaping up and modifying the provisions
OF the naval appropriation bill.
Divergence of views among senators.
some OF whom have had less experience
III tfEAothttba thst bts hA6 ANr1 bERQA$N-
nifty to gain information regarding naval
affairs, naturally crop out from time TO
time In the committee proceedings on the
bill. Great tact In adjusting these views
on various measures is indispensable to
harmony, bat this has become compare
lively an easy task to the chairman, who
has grown gray in working out legisiR-
tive problems.
The naval appropriation bill, which Mr..
Hale, as chairman, will have charge of on
the floor OF the Senate, when 1t is brought
up there within a few days, VIII be the
last of the great appropriation bills to be
settled and sent TO the President, That
has been the case al every session OF Con-
gress in recent years, since the Rppropris-
tions for new navy have grown to
immense proportions--larger almost than
any OF the other great supply bills.
This year the differences OF opinion
over the construction OF warships,
whether in private or government yards,
viii have to be fought cut In the Senate,
as II already has been In the House, aud
then the con ferees, In meetings that may
last for many days, will have to blaze
the way for an agreement between the
two houses.
II Senator Hale should have compiled
the total In millions OF the appropriation
bills be has piloted through the Senate
and helped adjust In conference, It alone
would be sufficient monument to his
| usefulness as a constructive legislator in
that body. 1t would also be a wonderful
testimonial to the confidence the senate
has In hts business sense, for the naval
appropriation bill IL by no means the
| only one In which be has hand during
every session Of Congress. There are the
sundry civil bill, the diplomatic bin, the
deficiency bills and many others.
The totals OF these measures, many OF
which he secures the consent OF the
Senate to with minimum OF debate and
without furnishing the senators excuse to
enter upon wrsngling discussions, would
go into billions OF dollars.
| The amounts that he saves the govern
ment annually by scrutinlzing items In
appropriation bills are very large, and
4 mark the usefulness OF the man as a public
servsnt.
| Gov. Burieigh, when he came 10 Con-
| gress several years ego, made OF the
senior Maine senator his most intimate
| political friend and adviser; Ia things po-
| liticai they have always worked together
as cIoseiy as brothers. W ben II comes to
getting omething important for Name,
especially for the essterly section OF the
State, they buckle on armor together.
Hardly day OF the session goes by v hen
Gov. Borleigh, who Is one OF the most
active workers at the south end OF the
| capitol, Is not seen scuddipg over towards
| the Senate, where he aud Senator lila e
keep in touch with each other as TO the
them and pertaining to the Pine Tree
State. Their methods of accomplishing
things about the departments are much
aiike--quiet, careful work without the
flourish Of trumpets, but with the largest
possible results.
Gov. Bnrleigh has been devoting great
deal OF time at this session OF Congress
10 the installation OF rural free delivery
routes In the four counties OF his district.
The popularity OF the service with the
people, and this convenienees that ii gives
| to the rural popn'at Ia large msjor-
| ity OF instances, convinced him Tong ago
that be- woald be performing & useful
service by having established as many as
| possible OF these routes.
In the last six months some OF these
routes have been authorized for Hancock
county, and others are now pending.
Almost daily he goes down to the post
Office department, before the rural fires
delivery division, to urge progress in put
ting some Of the proposed routes In oper-
.stion. Before long more routes for Han
cock county are promised, especially when
the large appropriations for the coming
fiscal year, beginning July ! next, become
available.
Hardly week goes by that Gov. Bur-
leigh does not send petition or two,
"Have By some surgeon. shyloek. ON thy