Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-05
CAPITAL CHAT.
Suggestion for Special Delivery
Of Letters by Telephone.
New immigration Bill Does Not Affect
French Canadians.
Thrones of Northern Visitors Are Now
in Washington.

Washington, d. c.. March 4.-(Spec-
iaD.-The post office department has
begun to arrange for the opening of
new rural free delivery routes in Maine
with the opening of spring. Ex-Gov
BurleiGh has been notified of plans for
a new route in Hancock county. The
new route will be 225s miles long out
of Buckeoort and will have one car
rier, who will pass the doors of 125
houses. in which reside 525 people,
This route is only the beginning of
rural service which Gov. Burleigh is
urging for spring in several towns OF
| the Sd District. rs he plans to remain
here several weeks after the session
of Congress to catch up with his mail
and with business before the depart-
merits. he will have time to press sew
er2l of the cases for rural routes anew
before he leaves town.
The department has also decided to
establish two new routes. April /, i'll
PiscataQuiS county, one leading out Of
Dover and one leading out of Fox
croft.
An Improvement over the rural free
recent speech here by Senator Fair
banks. is the special delivery of let
tiers by telephone. Congress, this year,
refused to consider the plan by reason
of the expense involved in establish
ing rural routes, but many senators
are confident that it IS only Il question
of II few years before it will be adopt
cd. 1t would be feasible. of course,
only along routes where there are tele-
phones for farmers. Many Western
farming communities now have COM
plete telephone equipment and it is al
most . foregone conclusion that farms
generally will have telephones in the
next decade.
The IDEA is to provide for special de-
livery by telephone, for which Il small
charge would be made, enough to cover
telephone tolls, just as 10 cents is now
the cost of a special delivery stamI.
that sends letter Immediately to it,
destination within limits of a city hav-
ing free delivery.
1t is hardly time for the government
to enter upon such an undertakings" said
Coy. Burloish, today. but | hope the
time is not far distant when ii will be
generally put in operation. We are do
ing q lot Of things in this century that
were notd reamed of in the last century,
and of late there has been Il tendency to
alleviate the conditions of farm life. In
proved mail service was one of the dc
ciSiVc steps forward. but it cannot be ok
pectcd that the government will stop with
the present facilities. We shall go for
ward just as rapidly as we can. gradually
10 be sure" but ! predict that in ~ years
We shall he looking back upon the pres
cnt rural service, excellent as it is. as
rather crude
During the last six or seven days of tie
session of Congress the Maine members
oi the House spent about l. hours daily
at the Capitol The. Republicans wcr"
forced to Keep Il quorum by the remark
ahlc procedure of the Democrats in cor
tinuing their flibuster 1t was altogether
"a hard siege, for it left little time to at
tond to other business. With several roll
calls daily. there was no telling when Il
Republican member might be needed to
help make a sufficient number for 4 quo
rum.
Tho four Maine men We're constant in
their attendance and no extraordinary Ct
forts were required to bring them to The
House by II O'Clock every morning. as
WAS the case with not few Republicans
All Of them kept within touch Of the
Speaker. and backed his program of
transactinG the necessary public business
The last week of the session Washing
ton WAS crowded almost as though 1t We're
the days preceding the inauguration Of a
President The streets We're thrOnGc1
With people and the corridors ANA the
a"ileries at the Capitol We're flied with
spectators. Thousands of people are on
the way South to spend tn" month Of
March and found it convenient to tarrN
hero briefly to catch the spirit and enthd-
siasm of the closing days of Congress.
Then there have been several cOnve'!-
tons and gatherings IN washington of
late to swell the throng of visitors Hotels
have been crowded to the doors and In"
city has assumed quite q festive appear
ancc 1t will. however, be rapidly sue
"c"dcd by 9 long period OF duictude. unless
All signs fail. as soon as til" statesmen
have left town.
Senator Hale will have reason to rcmom-
Der the last Sunday of the session. While
his colleagues were pronouncing erloSleS
on deccaScScd members of the House. he
was ti"lVinG into conference work on the
naval appropriation bill. There were no
two ways about it. The differences he
tween the two houses had to hc adjusted
speedily. II was q long session of the
conference committee, Sunday, or the
millions Of appropriations carried on thar
bill would have been Imperfect. There
that day at the Capitol, for business was
being pressed with all the energy men
could summon. But the last Sunday of
a short session of Congress is always Il
busy one and makes demands on Il cor |
siderable proportion of the working mem |
belShip.
The passage of the immigration bill. |
which had been before Congress Tor man" |
months, was in such shape mat Il VIII
not affect the coming and going Of French |
Canadians into Maine and New lIamp- |
shire for brief periods Of service. \ |
clause that would have prevented thei: |
entry for such purposes was one Of the |
reasons that delayed the passage OF the |
measure. Senator GallinSer Of New |
hampshire. championed the , omission OF |
the provision and would not allow the bill
to come to a vote till such an arrangement |
was perfected
+, l.. Page. proprietor of the Senate and |
Phillips Me- and who has extensive
camps in the Rangeleys, says the pos
poets for summer travel to the Pine Tree i
State from this vicinity arc very bright.
He always gets large &c, co M tSe from
who are about the Capitol. He expects TO
80 to the Ranseleys in about on" month.
and thinks tie season VIII open carry, this
YEAR
The Nevada Sails for kittery.