Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-29
CAPITAL CHAT.
Deserved Increases of Salaries
for Faithful Men.
Worthy Recognition for Long and
Very Efficient Service.
Newspaper Men Taking Important
Federal Positions.

raising for some of its most faithful
officials. A great many men come in
to the service of the Senate and House
first and last but very few of them
survive more than tour or six years ut
NEST. Those are the men who get
into positions, where they can show
themselves Indispensable even us
against the changes in political COM
plex:on of eithsr branch OF Congress.
One of therh is AR Thomas p.
Cleaves, of MainE a brother of the
former eoyernbr. who has been many
years clerk off the committee on aa-
preparations, whereof Senator Allison,
of Iowa. is chairman and Senator Hale
of Maine. Il Leading Republican E.em-
Der. Before this Congress is over MI
Cleaves Will he raised so that his COM
pensation vii. be very near if not {,
little exceeding that of senator. The
House he's already done as much for
the clerk of lis committee on appro-
priatio!ls. Mr.. James c. Courts. and
there is no question but what the same
thing will be done for MI. Clcaves.
when the Senate committee considers
the bill. They have life positions. by
the common recognition of their ability
for the work they perform and no
chairman would undertake to break in
4 new man to fiji either of the places.
They know about the various appro-
priations, which Congress has TO grind
out every year. even better possibly
than TIE chaiI men themselves in many
cases. and are travelling cycloredias of
information. which at some time every
senator ana member of Congress is
seeking. as to pending or prosperity
appropriation bills.
One of the great and grave tests, to
which these Two clerks are put. is
keeping tab orH committee conferences
and reports resulting therefrom in the
adjustment of differences between the
Two houses Sfme If the large arpro-
priation bills, barticularly the :Sund,y
Civil. Legislative. and District OF CO.
lumhia. carry many disaCroc!9ents.
e.-en IT, the number of over 200 and it
is i task fer experts to keep those
agreements correctly as fast rs made
ma see shat they are correctly ana in
diligently printed. Hundreds of thou
lands of collars in expenditures and
impC-talt questions of policy are
wrapped UP in those agreements. Mr..
t'leaVeS and Mir. Courts are the only
two men ut the Capitol. sufficiently
skilled t. hanGle those conference re-
ports.
Some years ago, when Mr.. Dingley.
chairman Of the ways and means COM
mittee. was completing the conferences
on the tariff bill. which carried 4 great
number of agree ments OIL differences
between the two houses. he called for
the services If Mr.. Courts. who was
the only man on that side of the cap
itol who could keep matters straight.
Mr.. Cleaves. a Maine man. is Il life long
Republican,; Mr.. Courts. a Tonnes
sevan is a life long Democrat but
their politics cut no figure in their re-
tention as important officials of Con-
Sress.
Mr.. Asher G Kinds. many years CLERK
to the speakers desk and probably the
best INSTRUMENTATION in Congress.
graduate of Colby College. has also re-
Gently been given Il good raise in sal
airy. which elevates his services to the
same grade with Mr.. Courts and HI.
Cieay@S.
The rapidity with which newspaper
men haze been appointed to important
fedora positions in the last four years
is evident from a contemplation of the
official rosters here. President Me
I<inlcy began BY appointing Henry r.
p. Macfarland as the Republican COM
missioner of the District of Columbia.
lie is well known in New England az
-. liant %
Boston Herald and "A very gifted gen
tleman chat was followed soon aft
erNards hy ,he appointment of Maj
Richard Sylvester as chief of the
Washington police. who has proven
himself a very competent man. He
was not only ii newspaper man but the
son of an old editorial writer on one
of the local newspapers. Then came
the appointment OF Fire Chief Dut-
ton. who had been writer on local
newspaper. In President Roosevelts
term the placing of newspaper men in
responsible positions has continued.
Mr.. Robert j. Wynne. the present as
Sistant postmaster general. appointed
some six months ago by Mr.. Roosevelt.
was many years Washington cores
nOnueDl Oh the NV 1Vih stiH
one of the best known correspondents
in the gallery. 4 few days ago there
went to the Senate the nomination of
Mr.. Henry l.. West. long a correspon-
dent on one of the local newspapers as
another civilian commissioner of the
District of Columbia. who is now Mr..
Nacfarland's colleague on that board
of three governors of Washington city.
the other being an army officer. That
emphasizes the prevalence of the craft
in important local positions but the
other newspaper appointments from
the country NJ large in the last four
years has also been very numerous
and illustrates the attitude that presi-
dents in these days entertain towards
The press
The capital had its first fall of snow
this year on Christmas eve hut ii was
only a slight fall and did not suffice
FOR sleighinS. something in which
Washington People always revel. for
sieighing rarely lasts during a season
Continued on page 81