Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-05-24
CAPITAL CHAT.
Maine Men Working Hard
on Two or Three Bills.
Omnibus Public Building Meas
ure Is Nearly Ready.
Mrs. Burleigh Continues About the Same
Gov. Bur|sigh's Terrific Strain.

Washington. d. c., May o3.-(Spe-
cI3D.-1hc Maine men are getting
ready tor hard pull on two or three
measures they would like very much
To have passed before the close of
this session. one of them is the So
called anti-plotaGc bill. 1t is essential
~ Il Maine measure. although owners
of .1iling vessels all along the North
Atlantic coast want to see it become "A
Law. During the last two months it has
been impossible to get consideration
for amy measure of Importance, which
is opposed, except appropriation bills.
But now the program of appropriation
bills is nearly completed and the Maine
members are pressing for Il chance
with tie anti-nlotage bill.
They arc encouraged to press for the
consideration of the bill because they
believe there is now Il clear majority
for it in the House. Heretofore the cp-
PIGMENTS of the bill. who are entirely
Southcrncrs. have regarded the House
as THEW stronghold. They have always
Dccn able to summon strong follow
ing among the various members. But
the campaign Of cducat ton has proceed
cd to such IN extent that the prospects
of tin, bill are looking up.
The Maine members are also interest,"
ed in the ship subvcntion bill AMI in
the determined efforts now being made
to get it favorably reported. They like
vie have Il number of minor bills
which they will seek consideration for
before the end Of the session.
The pressure upon the Speaker in be-
half of the little bills is always a fea-
turc of the closing days of Il Consre IS.
There are hundreds of these which
have been accommodating all through
the session. Nearly every committee
meeting adds to the number. 1t is
there that the little bills are filtered
through, and those Supposed to he the
most deserving, permitted to advance
ono stage to the House calendar. The
New England members. as 4 rule. have
but few nf these minor bills. except
p"n~ion hills. The bulk of such lcgisa-
ton comes from the newer sections of
the cuuntry-notahly the West and the
Southwest. Accordingly it is mostly the
Western ana Southwestern members
who haunt the Speakers private room
for permission to catch his cy" in the
House and ask unanimous conSe mt for
the passage of little bills.
f.X Judge +. NJ. Hatch of honolulu,
a graduate of BoWdoin College and u
warm friend If Senator Frye, is plan
ming IL spend most Of the coming
summer in New England. He has
been i'll Washington during the winter
as the representative of the Hawaiian
sugar planters. but is anxious to get
away to New England. where h" finds
the ,Iimat" especially agreeable.
Much nf Judge Hntch's work hcr"
this winter has been in opposing the
philippine tariff bill, IN which hc has
been cooperating with numerous
prominent Republicans of the Senate.
Til" Hawaiian Planters and the beet
sugar growers of several states. such
AZ New York. Michigan and California,
do not want Philippine sugar imported
AT a reduced rat Of duty Ia any con
sid""ahlc extent. They have been will
in. to corc"dc the l,a%SaE" uf The hill.
provided the limit of sugar inn"rtatinlS
s,h"nld br fixed at ?on.non tens Il year.
brit the administration is unwilling 10
rest on such q settlement. although il
Would accept il for 4 year or two.
Ihc appearance" of tn" free alcohol
bill is expected in the Senate this week
or soon thereafter. senator Hale is
taking a hand in the expedition Of that
hill. which has already passed tn"
House. He is not chairman of the sub
cum.nittcc. Senator AldriCh holding
that place, but Mr.. Aldrich is in favor
of the bill and has been all along. not
withstandinG the reports put out by his
critics. Mr. Hale stated some time ago
that he believed the bill would he dis
posed If III the Senate 1T an early day
and he has learned nothing that leads
him to change that opinion.
the Maine people here continue to
hear considerable from the Maine
Changers and especially from potato
growers in ArouStoOk county about the
widespread demand for the legislation.
Bu. it can b. said with safety that the
bill IS certain Of passage and that the
potato growers Of AroOstOok will have
full opportunity in the course of few
months to ascertain by actual expert
enc" \ hat can be done in the manu-
factIrc Of denaturizcd alcohol from the
thousands upon thousands Of bushels
of little pofatocS that are too small for
marketing and also with the potatoes
that have rotted at the time of digging.
Representative d. s. Alexander of the
Buffalo. y. Y. district. who is we'll
known 10 Maine readers because Of his
former residence in Maine and his in
tercst in Maine men and institutions,
is one of those taking prominent part
in the attempts at legislation before
Congress to regulate the use of water
for power purposes at Niagara Falls. II
is only three or four miles from Buffd-
10 to the falls and Buffalo business men
have a lot Of money invested in pro-
jects at the fails. In fact the street cars
of Buffalo are run by electricity gen.
Grated at Niagara
Col. Alexander believes in preserving
The falls in all their beauty, but he has
also 10 look out for the legitimate in