Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-03-18
FROM WASHINGTON.
rar Harbor's p. o. siteaGov. Bur
'a;rh,s Brilliant Work Hale
Off ON n Cruise.

,e;sh,s Brilliant Work Hale
off on Cruise.
,,.,,,SoToS. ID. o., March i6 Especially
.ay DAYS ago ex-Gov. Burleigh had
.nl,s,ion with the supervising archi.
~, NJ the treasury, Mr. Taylor, about
~ nroceedings for the purchase of fine
'a Al Bsr Harbor, wherein to erect
s,ic building. Mr.. Taylor gave assur-
Us that the treasury department would
.ooesd as expeditiously as possible to
romnlete the purchase.
At am certain that the site will be
.ohssed and the records of the pur-
fs.ss completed" said Gov. Burieigh
t..Aav. "within a few months. The
orn,uent is very cautious in making
,chsses of land for Its public buildings.
uhor site has been found thst is
.sonted to the purposes OF the govern
.,on, the title is very carefully examined
=, officials Of the department OF justice,
,susiiv the district attorney for the
Inited States In the state where the land
!. boupbt. Then the department OF jus
,,ce finally examines the papers after
svsrything has been completed.
.Tbe recent act Of Congress, generally
rrowp az the omnibus law" added Gov.
ppr,eirb, "puts the assurance OF fine
nublie building at Bar Harbor beyond
question, for the government Is now
committed to the Bar Harbor project,
through the appropriation OF good sum
tor the site, which makes 1t only matter
al comparatively short time before
there will be a commensurate appropri-
alton for the building Itself. / hope to
get the additional money at the next ses-
sion OF Congress. There is no occasion
for haste in completing the purchase OF
s,te. as there will be abundant time; but,
nevertheless, the treasury department
will lose no time In going about the
work."
The authority for the Bar Haabor pro.
iect is found In section 3 OF the law
approved by the President March 3 last
as followF:
"That TO enable the secretary of the treas
ury of the United States TO give effect 10 and
execute the provisions of existing legislation
authorizing the purchase of sites in the several
cities hereinafter enumerated, the limit OF coat
heretofore fixed by Congress therefor be,
and the same Is hereby, increased. re-
spectiyely, as follows;
United States postoflice at Bar Htrbor.
Maine, from six thousand dollars TO twelve
thousand dollars.
Omitted States pos,ofice and custom house at
Calais, Maine, from six thousand dollars to
twelve thousand dollars"
The Calais and Bar Har bor projects were
In exactly the same condition, and early
In the session of Congress Gov. Burleigh
secured from the treasury department
recommendations that The limit OF cost be
increased to the extent shown 10 the sub
sequeut Law. He b I'd told the aut horitis
from the start that 1t was his judgment
the sums provided last year would be In
sufficient, and when Chairman Mercer
and Gov. Burieigb got together to frame
the omnibus law, the two items were put
in exactly as the Maine man recon-
mended. But other states got only -four
I similar increases, most OF them increases
for lass sums than for either OF the two
Maine prof cts mentioned, so that Maine
through the governors Efforts, pulled
down two out Of the six puins OF that
kind.
The omnibus law, however, carries tive
other items due TO the governors alert
ness In securing legislation. One OF these
Is for the enlargement OF the site OF Il {
postoffice extension at Augusta, In accord
with provisions OF bill the governor
introduced early last session to maze
more satisfactory the expenditure oil
$4,000 for the extension at Augusta
He had that placed on the omnibus bill
st the start, as 1t carried no additional
appropriations. Section 5 OF the Law
reads as follows:
THAT the secretary OF the treasury be, and he
is hereby, authoriz sd and directed to acquire b,
purchase condem nation, or otherwise suitable
site for the Ubited States postofice an Other
governmental offices In each Of the cities
enumerated In this section within its respective
limit of cost hereby fixed;
United States courthouse at Portland
Maine, sixty thousand dollars"
There are twenty-nine of these appro-
priation for sites, all told, but the one
Tor Portland is two or three times Of
large as most OF the others, and larger
than any OF the others except the appro-
priation for site OF postoiiice, court
mouse, and custom house at Houston
Texas, which was fixed at $40 600.
The fight that Gov HurlaiRh WRged In