Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-07
CAPITAL CHAT.
Busy Times in Congress
Once More.
Maine Members Returning from
Trips to Augusta.
The Credentials for the 80 New U. S,
Senators.

Washington. ID. c., Jan. G.-(SpeciaD
All kinds of official work has started
| up here TINS week with Il new impetus.
1t has been so dull and so difficult to
| transact Official business ever since
| Congress adjourned ana the holiday
| season began, that nearly everybody
has become heartily tired Of il and is
| signing for a little activity as q relief
| for the nunotony. The cabinet struck
blow at official loafing late last week.
when IL vetoed the proposition for II
| half holiday Saturday and sent forth
| the announcement that the thousands
| Of clerks must work seven full hours
that day. But that did not affect
| Mon'lay, the first day OF the year. as Il
! holiday. Tuesday morning all hands
will go back to work and Wednesday,
Congress will Legn buckling down.
| Its TASKS however, are not especially
heavy, because there is too little money
| in the Treasury to permit Of amy lesis-
lation, except appropriation bills. The
| most difficult task Congress will have
is to keep the sums total of these APP
preparation bills within limit.
President Roosevelt has been work.
| ing right along every week day in his
quiet has been felt there. Many Sena-
tors and Congressman, however, stay
| here during the holidays to clean up
a lot Of errands in the departments.
OF an occasional forenoon they slip
over to the White House offices for Il
call. Some of them are also anxious
| to ascertain whether there will be any
| thing doing in the shaking of the plum
| three. The President has had mighty
| little encOura cement to offer in that
| line thus far He is now giving con-
siderable attention to a few of the
| choicest pluns he has to bestow, the
| ambassadorships. The clamor for
| them is naturally great. because they
! are places Of great distinction, Of very
pleasant though expensive social life
and entail but few arduous duties. This
| country maintains only seven am
| bassadors abroad, one each at the capt.
| tails of Mexico, Austria, France, Ger
| many, Great Britain. Italy and Rus
| sa.' The salaries for Ambassadors; at
| Paris. Berlin, London. Mexico and ST.
| Petersburg are 1900 a year each; at
Vienna and Rome only $4,000 Il year
| each. These seven amba Scholarships
constitute the blue ribbons that Presi-
| dent RoOseN cit has to bestoW in the
way of official honors.
There are approximately 90 minister
ships which this government has to ill!
at the various other capitals of the
| world. That does not include the
capitals, six or eight in number, that
are represented part of the year, by
4 minister resident ct some other CAPT
| tai. sucn rs is the case with littl"
| countries in central America and in
| southern Europe. These ministers
| pltnipOtcntiary from the United States
receive as q rule either $4,000 or $500
according to the Importance of the
| post A few, like the minister to
Liberia. who is always a negro. re-
ceives only $1,000 The only one of
these ministershirs that particularly
interest Maine is that at Stockholm
now filed by William w. Thomas, Jr.,
Of Portland The chances are that he
will not be reappointed. although
| President Roosevelt has not fully de-
termined. He feels that Mr.. Thomas
having had twelve years at Stockholm.
should retire in favor of some other
man.
The Maine Senators and members
| Will al be back in town before the end
Of the week to do their part of the
work of lrgislatnG. Senator Hale.
| one Of the most constant men in either
| Senate or House in his attendance
upon the sessions. il away for 4 few
| days to make a visit to Augusta Tw"
| or three Of The Maine members may he
little tardy in returning because of
| desire to attend the inaugural Of Gov
| ernor cobb and meet their friends in
| the Legislature and others who Will be
| coming to Augusta on that occasion.
| That will 81. true also Of Senators and
members for numerous other states
| where the legislatures will he meeting
early in january. But the work of
| Congress will not suffer because Of two
| or three days absence Of that charac-
| ter. The House is going upon the
! District appropriation bill. which is
| largely Of 4 local chara ctcr and deg
not cali for strict attention from ali
| the members.
| Immediately a'ter Representative
| Jittlnfield returns-aui he expected to |
attend the NJ lire inaugural when he
| left WaehingtOn-h" Wi;l ritch into the |
| work III preparing tn articles Of i'm !
peachment in The Swayne case. He !
| promises to be a pra'ty prominent fig
IRE in those proceedings. because of the /
| uncertainty Of ne House program and !
| the very decided views re holds about |
what lines the trial should follow. In |
| recent years there mas been a marked |
| decline in the number of real students |
of public questions among the members |
| of the House. Many men pay more |
| attention to social affairs than TO gain |
ing all the available information on |
measures. with which Congress has to
deal. Thus it has come about that in
some Of the larger committees. which |
handle the appropriation bills. the |
clerks have more real knowledge than |
the chairmen and are depended upon |
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