The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-03-05
Letter from Washington.

CORRESPONDENCE of The journal.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 2, 1908.
Gov. Burleigh is taking a lively interest
in the proposed work of the Department
of Commerce and has talked with Sec
rotary Cortelyou several times about
different plans the latter has in view.
The governor believes this department
should become one of the most useful
of all the departments Of the govern
ment and is interested to see its organi-
cation successfully accomplished.
No man in Congress, except it be
some of the old leaders, has rounded out
better winters work for his constit
uents than the Representative from
the Third Maine Congressional district.
His record in securing public building
appropriations for Maine cities is an
unusual one and better than can be
claimed successfully for any other
member of the House Committee on
public buildings and grounds, under the
circumstances. Before the next Con-
gress ends, if all Gov. Burleigh's present
plans carry, he will have secured a total
of about S1,000,o00 appropriations for
Maine since he entered Congress. That
is a remarkable record for one man, and
will include three large and spacious
public buildings for as many Maine
cities, one each at Calais, Bar Harbor,
and Portland, besides securing large eX
tensions for the present public buildings
in Bangor and Augusta. While the gov
ernor is so modest that he would be the
last man in the world to claim most of
the credit for such achievements, those
familiar with affairs here know that as
a member of the House committee he
was chiefly instrumental to that end
But aside from these large items Gov.
Burleigh has been very active at this
session in watching general legislation
before the House and lending his coun-
sci to prominent Republicans as to the
framing Of such measures. He is an in
defatigable committee worker, and the
most important work a Senator or
member does under the modern system
of legislating is in the committee rooms.
As he expects to leave Washington
soon, Gov. Burleigh has been taking up
anew with the superintendent of the
rural free delivery system plans for in
augurating several additional routes in
Maine during the coming spring, and he
hopes to get some of these for Han
cock county. Mr.. Machen is friendly
to Gov. Burleigh and helps him in ex-
trict counties as rapidly as possible.
Gov. and Mrs. Burleigh will probably
take trip to South Carolina or Florida
soon after Congress ends, for the bene-
fit of Mrs Burleigh's health, returning
to Maine sometime in April. But before
he leaves Washington the governor likes
to get his Congressional work complet-
ed so that nothing will be left over.
He is making this week final visits to
the Pension Bureau to examine into the
progress of pension claims. No more
earnest worker for the old soldiers ever
came to Congress from Maine and he
looks after the pension claims diligent-
ly, in this way helping scores of old
soldiers to increased bounty. His ex
perience in the examination of these
claims enables the governor on examin-
alton of the papers to tell quickly
what evidence is necessary. He keeps
in communication with the veterans,
and when evidence is necessary helps
to hasten the obtaining of it.
The activity about the Capitol these
days is very interesting. Many people
are here from all parts of the country;
most of them viewing the scenes about
the Capitol for the first time. Nearly
everybody in Congress is busy looking
after pet measure, which, unless they
are passed by both houses, between now
and March at noon and signed by the
President, will fail and the work upon
them will be in a large measure lost.
Statesmen are inclined to be laggards
about their work but they change their
attitude once in two years. That is right
at the end of q short session.