Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-01-02
FROM WASHINGTON.
Presidential Possif.Iities-Bar Har-
boris New Postoffice Building.

Presidential PossihtIities-Bar Har-
boris New Postoffice Building.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. l Especially
The new year starts off with great spirit
in Washington. The air is full OF poll
tics, especially presidential politics. For
although the next national conventions
will not be held for eighteen months, as
pirants are on the qui rire for preliminary
advantage. There are Vice. President
Fairbanks, Secretary-of- War Taft, and
United States Senator Joseph B. Foraker,
all looming more or less prominently on
the presidential horizon. Presidents are
often nominated months ahead of the day
the conventions meet. The campaigns for
state delegations have to be planned and
fought, and most of the plans are often
laid right here in Washington while Con-
gress is in session.
The Maine senators and members are all
back in Washington from the holiday
recess ard taking up their work with zest.
Senator Hale made his stay IN Ellsworth
brief that he might get back here and pre-
pare as much as possible in advance for
the work that will be awaiting him as
soon as the House grinds out q few more
appropriation bills. Since his return, and
prior to the converting of Congress, the
the senator had several conferences with
the President and heads of departments
on questions affecting these bills, which
questions have to be considered in con-
nection with the appropriation bills.
The construction of a new federal post
office at Bar Harbor waits on the action of
the treasury department. Gov. Burleigh
visited the department few days ago, and
was informed that the Bar Harbor build
ing would hardly be reached before next
February, because of the mass of other
construction work which must first be
cleared out OF the way. j. K. Taylor, the
supervising architect, told Gov. Burleigh
that it would be impossible to have the
new building up and ready for occupancy
during the coming summer. 1t would re-
quire considerable time to draw the plans
and advertise for bids for construction,
but it is probable that the building will
be ready for the postmaster at Bar Harbor
ny tuC Vi WIG koAAo" iuS ouhi~
mer.
Representative Burleigh has set tongues
wagging in the census bureau by asking
the director, s. N. ID. North, for an esti-
mate of the population of the country in
1910. He is leading member of the
House census committee, as the House of
Representatives has good reason to re-
member the way he put the present appor
tionment law through some four years
ago. There has been much speculation as
to what Gov. Burleigh might want of the
estimates, but he himself has explained it
by stating that he wants to look the
figures over to form some idea about what
the next superintendent of representa-
tives will be-.
Maine has had four members of the
members, already elected, in the next or
sixtieth Congress, in the sixty first Con-
gress, and possibly in the sixty second
Congress. But after that it is a serious
( question whether the States representa-
! tion will not be reduced to three mem
/ bers, the smallest it has ever been since
| Maine was admitted to the Union in 1920.
| The first Maine delegation to the
national House consisted of seven men.
Every twenty or thirty years since then
the delegation has been reduced by one,
because of the slow increase of population
as compared with other states OF the
Union, especially the western states.
1 As member of the census committee
| Gov. Burleigh will have hand in franz
ing the special legislation for taking the
next decennial census. He is in doubt
whether it will be possible for him to do
anything to secure four members for
Maine during the ten year period follow
ing that census, but he proposes to leave
| nothing undone to prevent a further re-
duction.
That is why he is gathering all the ma
terial possible so far ahead. Whatever
fight is made in behalf of Names repre-
sentation must be made in the House, and
as Gov. Burleigh is the Maine member Of
the census committee, the hrunt OF the
work will fall upon his shoulders, al
though all the Maine delegation will CO.
operate with him to the fullest degree.
Representative and Mrs. Burleigh have
been in Washington during the holidays.
Their daughter, Mrs. Martin, and grand
son, Burleigh Martin, bright young fell
low who is a freshman at Bowdoin college,
have been visiting them at the Richmond
hotel. As the session of Congress this
winter viii be brief, and there is none too
much time for the work that Gov Bur
leigh has before him here, they decided it
was preferable to remain in Washington
during the two weeks and more of the
holiday recess.
In the interim Gov. Burleigh has caught
up with lot of work, and found time to
talk over numerous plans he has in mind
with reference to prospective legislation
The river and harbor committee has
been holding sessions here during the
Gov Rurloirn hoe hanr1 -.