Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-16
CAPITAL CHAT.
The Return Of Mr.. Thom-
as from Sweden.
Senator HaIe's Splendid Work
In Behalf of Portland.
Much Praise for Mr.. Burieioh's Work
On Arsenal Matter.

Washington. D. c., March 15.-(Spe-
ciaD.-TEe .diiure of United States
Minister w. ". ThoruaS, Of Portland,
L. secure Il reappointnlcnt to his pres
ent position in Sweden was something
IF a surprise 10 the Maine Senators.
They had ut no time felt certain Mr.
Thomas would lie gwen another term.
lie has serv"l so long that. according
to the practi." in such cases. he would
have had to give way.
But the Maine delegation gave him
a unanimous endorsement and Minis
ter Thomas claimed that the last time
he WIS in Washington the President
mad promised him another term. Fur
th-rmore rs lie state has not been
pressing for any large appointment it
was thought likely the President
WoulG follow :Ee wishes OF the delega-
tiCl as To Mr.. Thomas. The latter had
been most Industrious in his own be-
half. Some weeks ago. he received an
irtimatiOn from one OF the delegation
hat the President might name some
ether to succeed hirL Forthwith Nj
Thomas began TO send out a distress
call to the various Scandinavian Or
CARNATIONS throughout the West and
Northwest. Petitions We're circulated
by the score in his behalf and these
were forwarded to President Roosevelt
They had no effect. however, for the
President had decided to make Amos.
a clean sweep in the selection of his
ministers to .oreign capitals. AS q
matter OF fact these we're about thu
only rea! nice appointments that he
Il N hi Il
naturally no one felt like interfering
With him. Mr.. Charles ii. Graves. of
Duiutk, Mimi. namcl TO succeed Mr.
Thomas. is very popular politician in
those parts and was once speaker OF
the Minnesota House OF Representa-
tives. A letter has been written to
Minister Thomas from here. stating
what the situation was that resulted in
his failure for a denomination. He will
not be given any other appointment.
Senator Hale j. resting 4 little, after
mis- hard work Of thu close Of the regu-
lar session. As soon as the Senate has
disposed of the Santo DOMINICAN
treaty. which will probably be in two
or three weeks. he may take a trip
South. Probably there never was such
an accumulation of business in III"
Senate. two or three weeks before adj
journmcnt as was the case about the
middle of Feb udry. The situation
vas all the more acute because Of the
SNaynr impraC nment trial. But in
spite of all tn difficulties Mr.. Hale. as
the leader of the Senate, to whom all
the Republican senators Looked rushed
everything to an early completion. He
was aided materially by the absence
of many matters of vigorous conten-
ton in the appropriation bills. None
the less. up to within a few days Of
the end of the session. ii looked as
though the task WOul,, be almost in
sllnerablc. Favorable comments are
heard on every hand about the Capitol
at the splendid way in which Mr. Hale
brought the Senates work to COM
pletiOn.
With all this responsibility upon his
shnulders-for had the appropriation
bills not been completed. an extra SEES
sion OF Congress would have been in
disperSable-M Hale found time to
look after the interests of the Pine
Tree State ami to secure an appropr-
aiion Of $l00.GD for the improvement
Of Portland harbor. Such an apprOpri-
a:ion was found to be impossible. un-
der all the circumstances. on the River
and Harbor bill. Tho rules requiring
surveyS are 50 in'txible with the
House committee and Mr.. Burton. the
chairman of the House Committee. is
such a strong man in conference, that
there was no hope OF ever persuading
him to yield on such question. Fur
thermnre. he House was insisting that
tho total of The appropriations for
Rivers and Harbors be kept down.
Mr.. Hale took the matter ,p in the |
Senate appropriations committee. of
which he is the ranking member next |
10 Chairman Allison. He is also one |
of The subcommittee that makes up |
the snndry civil bill. That often car
ries concentrations for river and har- |
bor projects which have already been |
authorized. There had been an ap- |
propr;ation years ago for Portland |
harbor the project having been defined |
by the army engineers. 1t did not in
clude Fore River or Back Cove, which |
it is now intended to dredge to make a
,,eep.r channel But ii happened that
that act was passed when Reed was
Sneaker and Congress allowed more
eycn than the estimates. The i'm
had been completed but FOR
less money than the project called for
This gave Senator Hale an opportun-
itv to get an appropriation on the
s,ndrv civil bill. although it properly
belonged on the river and harbor bill.
While there was no more money avail
able for the Portland project. what
ever surplus there might have been at
any time having been turned back into
The treasury. an appropriation of s100.-
200 for Rack Cove and Fore River
couId he made without increasing the
total cost of the Improvement beyond
what had been estimated in Speaker
Reeds time.
So an amendment was put on the
s,,nd,,, civil bill and. to the wonder
ment Of most of the wise solons
nra,,na ne Capitol. it went through
and became a law. That was because
$50. Ha,e watched il at every stage
and ssnt il on the bill. He kept it in
oconunued on Page Three.) !