Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-28
CAPITAL CHAT.
Odds and Ends Of Legislation
Which Interest Maine.
Closing Of Congressional Session
During Burst Of Spring.
Matters Pertaining to This Stats, from
Journals Correspondent.

tti ilISs et bii ~ VI =. NedIl ~ All tht
week the doors Of the Capitol have
been swung far back that the breeZes
from the Potomac might blow through.
The windows of the Senate and House
cIoakrooms have been lifted so that
only the screens impenetrable to the
vision separate the groups of racon-
teurs from the thrOngs passing in the
corridors. From the Capitol plaza the
view has been one of streets fringed
with trees just srrouting into green.
IT is only a question of few more
days Of Sunshine and a shower or two
when the city will offer to the depart
ing congressman the glorious picture
ri summer Verdure.
All thn little odds and ends of legisla-
ton, in which Maine is interested, have,
with very few exceptions. been salts
factorily disposed of. The Maine items
on the appropriation bills We're kept in,
because of Senator Hale's vigilance, he
having been Il conferee on most of the
appropriation bills that carried any
important Maine items. The four
Maine imembers &C. the House cleared
up their work well in the last days Of
the session and expect to be back at
their homes in Maine by the end of
this week or early next week. Senator
Hale probably will not be back in ELS
worth for several weeks yet. Senator
Frye wants to get up Rangeley way
soon to try his luck at fishing. Before
he leaves Washington Senator Hale
will have talks with some of the in
fuential political LEADERS about plans
for the Chicago convention and for the
presidential campaign. AS far as can be
well done, the effort is to shape the
convention programme in advance and
Hale is one OF four or five whose adj
vice is sought in thar connection.
one of the minor treasures of legis-
latiOn which have been closed up here
this week is a bill allowing Capt. Al
bert F. Eells. formerly of ROcklanl.
Me. but now OF Boston. Mass, to erect
a lighthouse on Diamond Shoals off
Cape IIatteraS on the North Carolina
coast. For eight or ten years Capt.
Eells has been seeking authority from
Congress to erect Il lighthouse at this
place, which is the most dangerous to
navigation of any shoals along the At
lantic coast. He has secured the sup
port Of numerous shipping interests all
the way from PASSPORT, Ne, down TO
Savannah. Ga, and individuals. con-
nected with the Maratime underwriters
in Boston have agreed to help him
finance the project. The Captain, now
quite an old man. has about $4,000 of
his own money, which he can make
availab bic for the work. If Capt. Eells
succeeds and makes substantial light
house on the shoals. he is to receive
the sum of $590,0G0.
At the present time the Germans far
outclass the Americans in their ability
10 erect lighthouses in dangerous
places for the aid of navigation. The
members Of the lighthouse board have
shown very vacillatinG policy regard
ing the erection pf lighthouse on
Diamond Shoals, first declaring that
4 liehtship answered every purpose.
then that the construction of light
house was much needed but impracti-
cable, and SO or. but always they haze
been opposed to the plans of Capt.
Eells Now for the first time he has
secured the necessary legislation, the
House always having been SLOW to act.
Senator Frye champiOned the bill in
the Senate and several weeks ago the
bill was passed there. No doubt is
expressed that the President will sign
the measure.
Secretary Shaw, who is now absent
from Washington, delivering addresses
on political and semi-rolitical topics
is thinking of moving his family to the
Maine coast, this summer. He has beer
trying to secure 4 cottage at Squirrel
Island. but if satisfactory accOnmo-
lations are not to be had there. he
may seek for Il cottage somewhere else
dong the Maine coast. The secretary
would rot spend much time himself in
Maine during the summer. as he will
!,e absent n good deal in the campaign.
hut he would make occasional trips
Town there ana spend Il few days at -
inc with his famiiy.
Nothing said about the new navy
has attracted more attention here
amOng the naval experts than Senator
Hale's speech. Monday, about the ad-
visibility of constructing no more bat
tieships for the present. at least no
more enormous battleships. The SEN
ltor has been t1iEing against the adj
visibility of larR" battleships for sew
cral years and therein has provoked
the antagonism of younger and posi-
bly, less thoughtful men who have to
DO with naval legislation. However.
the war between Japan and Russia has
demonstrated what Senator Hale has
often expressed fears might happen
that the big battleships are easily dis
ablnd and that they are not supreme
as against torpedo craft These de-
velopments prove. in any event, that
if battleships must be built for naval
warfare it is advisable to build small |
er ships, costing less money, as the |
smaller ships have almost the same
fighting efficiency as the larger ones. |
II was noticeable that the older and |
more influential senators. like Mr.. Allison |
Of Iowa, sided with Mr.. Hale in his con-
tention and their opinions will undoubted- |
" have great weight with the President |
as well as with the naval experts. the lat |
ter in late years having become almost |
cranky on the subject of building the |
largest battleships possible.
congress has ordered the printing of |
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