The Republican journal., 1902-05-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

Especial Correspondence of The Journal
W WASHINGTON, d. c.. April 30 There
are prospects of boom in rural free
delivery down in Waldo before many
weeks. Additional petitions have been
received here and forwarded to the Post
office Department and at the earliest
feasible date Special Inspector T. ?.
Boutelle of Bangor will make a TRIP
down that way to look into the advisa-
bility of the proposed routes.
1t was only week or so AGO that
Gov. Burleigh received a petition from
Stockton Springs for the establishment
of rural free delivery route there, in
addition to the present service. Since
then he has received a petition from
Postmaster F. r. Hicl born of Stockton
Springs asking for an extension Of rural
route No. l. This petition was signed
by Freeman Partridge and others and
is now in the hands of First Assistant
Postmaster General r. J. Wynne, the
newspaper man, who was recently ap-
pointed to this office He promises to
send Mr.. Boutelle down into Waldo at
an early day.
Gov. Burleign has also recommended
the sending of an inspector to Ply
mouth, Me, to look over the ground
for rural route. \ petition from
Charles II. Ward and others for route
out of Plymouth was sent to ex-Gov
Powers, but the Postotlce Department
officials at once gave notice that as this
route was to extend into the Third Dis
trict the favorable endorsement of
Gov. Burleigh would be necessary be-
fore the Department could act, it being
the invariable rule of the Department
to have the endorsement of the Repre-
sentative in Congress from the particu-
lar district where the route was to be
established. The papers were trans
ferred to Gov. Burleigh, who forth
with recommended that the papers be
placed in the hands of Special Agent
Boutelle for inspection and report
The third district representative is
receiving many concentrations here
for the large total that he was able to
secure for Maine on the omnibus public
building bill, just reported to the House
and passed there. Since the days when
the late Seth l.. Milliken was chair
man of the committee on public build
ings and grounds, Maine has hitherto
received nothing for appropriations for
public buildings. 1t was argued when
the last public buildings were authorz-
ed two years ago that Maine was en-
titled to nothing as most of the cities
and large towns of the State had been
cared for. Since then, however, the
public business has increased so much
that the demand became great for more
conveniences, especially in Augusta
and Bangor. Gov. Burleigh's promi-
nence as member of the committee on
public buildings and grounds, he now
being near to the chairman, has enabled
him to make some successful demands
for large sum. The extra $50, 600 for
enlarging the postotfice at Augusta will
enable the government to erect there a
structure commensurate with the large
postal business and also commensurate
with the Importance of Augusta as the
CAPITAL of the State A Ill members of
Congress insist on having fine and
we'll appointed public building at their
state capitals and, as soon as the gov
ernment is able to complete the work
at Augusta, that city will be up to
other capitals in that regard.
The $15O,0O0 allowed to Augusta
would lave been a good quota for
Maine under the circumstances, but
Gov. Burleigh insisted that there were
other cities in the State where the
needs were great and that these must
be looked after. Day after day he went
to the little committee room that looks
out from the west front of the Capitol
to aid in the framing of the immense
omnibus bill and also to see to it that
these other Maine projects were not
forgotten in the final draft of the meas
ure. Chairman Mercer of Nebraska
was anxious to help the governor out
just as far as possible and deserves
much praise for the Way in which ha