Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-02
CAPITAL CHAT.
improving Lighthouse Service
Of the Maine Coast.
Postoffice Department Praises Kenne.
bee R. +. D. Service.
Free Delivery for Rumford FalIs-Sen.
ator Hale on Sea Trip.

Washington, D. c., Dec. (SpeciaD
Every year there is a struggle before
Congress for the voting appropriations
to improve the lighthouse and life saw
ing service along the coast Of Maine.
Capt. S. /. Kimball, superintendent of
the life saving service, has made many
pleas for that branch Of the service.
He is a native of Maine and thoroughly
acquainted with the needs of the Maine
coast. Annually for a long time the
Secretary of the Treasury in the esti-
mates has asked Congress for appro-
priations for the construction of better
lighthouses and better quarters for the
keepers thereof. These same estimates
will again be sent to Congress next
week at the beginning of the regular
session.
Gov. Burleigh has just proposed an
other item Of improvement for the
light house service along the Maine
coast by Offering bill to construct a
lighthouse and a fog signal station at
the southwest entrance Of Isle au Haul
thoroughfare. 1t will so to the COM
mittee on interstate and foreign COM
merce. Both the Maine Senators at
the extra session have presented petit
tons from several boards of trade in
Maine for a permanent life saving ser
vice along the Maine coast. project
which the business and shipping in
terests Of the State are strongly sup
porting. More will undoubtedly be
heard of all these requests later in the
regular session. The petitions pre-
scented by the Maine senators, so to the
committee on commerce. of which Mr..
Frye is chairman. He is heartily in
accord with every proposition that will
advance the efficiency of both these
services on the Maine coast, as is Sem
ator Hale and the entire delegation in
the House for that matter.
During the last two or three years
the Maine delegation has been vel!
satisfied with progress made in the di-
rection of light house improvements,
which have called for large appropria-
t;ons for4 Portland Harbor. The Cape
Elizabeth Light ship was authorized
latter a long delay, while Speaker Reed
was in Congress. Representative Allen
then took up the question of a light at
Ram Island le0ge. which was appro-
priated for about year ago, after a
most energetic. fight by Senator Hale.
who was chiefly responsible for getting
the item into the appropriation bill.
Both projects cost in the aggregate
about s200,000 >@.
Because of her large commerce. con-
stantly increasing. Portland was, OF
course, entitled to first consideration,
but the Maine men viii! now strive TO
secure legislation improving the light
house system further UP the coast.
This will come slowly, for Uncle joe
Cannon ana others on the House APP
propriations Committee, vote very re-
luctantly for Improvements along sal:
water. They have lived most of their
lives IN the interior. and do rot fully
realize the pressing needs of est ablisll-
ing the most complete facilities for
guiding the mariners along such a rug
ged coast as that Of Maine.
Representative BurIeigh and Repre-
sentative Allen are, the only members
of the Maine delegation in town. al
though their number will be augmented
soon by Sccstor Frye. returning from
his visit TO New York and New jersey.
During the hull in legislative proceed
ingS Senator Hale has gone on his 81 il
along the Atlantic coast. as the salt air
invigorates him after long periods of
close apple alton to work in Washing
ton. He has been the busiest senator
at the north end of the Capitol. during
the extra session. because of the nu-
merous burdens placed upon him.
These. included several confidential
tasks in adjusting differences between
n
Then some of his work grew out Of
conferences with President Roosevelt
about public business that the chief
magistrate preferred to entrust to him.
The Postofilce. Department is prepar-
ing for the establishment of free de-
livery of mail at Rumford Falls, where
the receipts for the last fiscal year
amounted" to- 1o40s.1S. which is just
above the mark required for free
delivery. A civil service examining
board has been selected and December
II fixed as the date for examining can
didates for carriers and clerks. The
eligible list will be established from
applicants who are between IS and As
years of age.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow, in making summaries of what
has been done in the Rural free delivery
division, under his charge. had had COM
piled histories of the establishment of
the service in different Congressional
districts. He finds that Representative
Burleighs name stands near the head
of the list of those who have brought
about conditions permitting of the
largest number of routes in given
localities. considering all the circum-
stances.
The county system of rural free de-
livery was first installed in Maine dur
Ing the past summer when applied to
Rennehec. That county. because Of its
population and location. lent itself
readily to the county system. When
Gov. Burleigh became a member Of
the House there was not a rural route
in the third district. Now its four
counties are gridironed with these i'm
proved facilities which permit Of the
delivery of letters and papers daily to
ia tyAt 80 Sac sv,