Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-02-06
CAPITAL CHAT.
Attempts to Consolidate Gus
toms District Fails.
Mr.. Litt|efeId's Triumph in the Ex-
ira Mileage Matter.
Pulp Manufacture-Politics in the
District of Columbia.

Washington, Feb. 5.-(SpeciaD.-
Maine men have been taking a strenu-
Gus part in affairs here during the last
few days. The delegation in the House
has had some important work to do
upon the floor and it has been done
successfully in every instance.
The most important OF these affairs
to the State was the effort to re-
organize the customs districts of the
country. through the action of the
Secretary of the Treasury. There are
several customs districts along the
Maine coast where the collections do
not equal the expenses. The function
of many of the customs officials in
those districts is to prevent smuggling.
Eut the move in the direction of re-
organization was met by EX-Gov.
Powers who raised a point of order
that the legislation proposed by Rep
resentative Hemenway, chairman of
the committee on appropriations. was
not gernlane to the urgent deficiency Y
bill, on which il had been placed by tn =
committee. A fight was expected but
Mr.. Hemenway yielded readily and
there was no discussion at ali. When
beaten there he undertook Il resolution.
authorizing the President to conduct an
inquiry as to whether the number Of
customs districts could be wisely re-
duced but that legislation was pre-
vented by an objection from Represen-
tative Thomas, Democrat, of North
Carolina. Some of the districts. which
it is proposed to consolidate are in
North Carolina, although there is more
reason for consolidation there than in
Maine as the numerous Tarhcel dis
tricts do not serve the purpose of pre-
venting smuggling as do the Maine dis
tricts. However. the last has porbably
been heard of any move in the direction
of consolidating customs districts for
this session of Congress.
Representative Littlefeld held close
attention in the House for part of two
days with his contention in connection
with the same urgent deficiency bill
that there had not been in the eyes
of the law, two separate sessions of
Congress since early last November,
but only one session and that therefore
the House could find no justification in
voting itself extra mileage. He con-
ttSltt IlShI EItI anu COM
manded the respect OF the House by
his argument. Nevertheless: Repre-
sentative TaWney, who was presiding,
was compelled under the circun-
stances to overrule the point of order,
for which Mr.. Littlefeld contended.
To have done otherwise would have
created great confusion. 1t would have
set q precedent against what the
Senate has been holding and also
against what President Roosevelt has
been holding. The thing for which Mr.
Littlefeld cOntended however was sub
stantially granted a few moments later
when the House refused to leave any
paragraph III the bill which would
authorize extra mileage. 1t wars felt.
after Mr.. Littlefield's argument, that
that was by far the most sensible
thing for the House to do.
Over at the Senate end of the
Capitol. Mr.. Hale has been having his
hands full with tasks in the Committee
on Appropriations. The bills from the
House are just now reaching that
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