Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-02-05
FROM WASHINGTON.
Senator Hale Busy with Currency
Bill-Maine Public Buildings.

Senator Hale Busy with Currency
Bill Maine Public Buildings.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 3 Especially
Some Of the snappy, frosty air that
delights the oldsters Of the Maine delega-
ton has been filing Washington Of late.
1t has been real zero weather, and the
Maine men might well feel like kicking
up their heels. Such weather is the special
delight Of Senator Hale. II it should con-
tinue- it will not-the senator would not
have to lay aside the legislative tools for
while in midwinter to hasten north to
get few sniffs Of frozen ozone.
He has recently put the finishing
touches on the currency bill, working to
that end along with one or two other
senators and that house IL now ~ good -
built. 1t has taken up lot the senator's
time, and has kept him from some other
things that he 10 anxious to get at. Some
one took up the cry not long ago that
Senator Hale and his colleagues were not
building the kind Of house that the
President liked. The President heard Of
it, and promptly nailed it - fine politi-
cal lie that deserved to be punctured by .
ten-penny driven by sledge hammer.
Some folks cannot remember that Sena-
tor Hale is the kind of man who does
his thinking for himself. He agrees with
Presidents when he thinks they are right,
and he dissgrees with them when he
thinks they are in error. President
Roosevelt is also big enough to appreciate
. man Of Senator Hale's type. Because
the two do not agree % to whether Q doc
tor in the navy should command a ship, it
does not follow that they cannot build
another house that both will approve. As
. matter Of fact, the President and the
senator have been much in consultation
over the currency bill.
Probably when Senator Hale gets to
mailing boards on his next house the Pres
ident will not altogether approve his work.
However. he is going to take up his bill
for an increased efficiency in the navy
i very soon. The foundations are laid. The
committee on naval affairs, of which he is
chairman, is girded for the work. The
chairman and its members work very har-
moniously and expeditiously, as a rule.
Probably there will be no exception when
the navy efficiency bill is considered.
: Maine and New Hampshire people have
% been in Washington in force for several
days because there is legislation pending
here in which they are concerned. The
State entomologist from Augusta, Prof. E.
F. Hitchings, has been before the commit
tee on agriculture along with several ex-
perts from other New England states
/ taking about the necessity OF federal APP
( preparations with which to fight gypsy
and browntail moths. This has come to
be an annual migration to Washington, as
, the New England experts come down to
tell the agricultural committee Of the prog
! ress of the determination and of the
necessity for more funds.
Still another annual migration has come
to be the experts on forestry who journey
to Washington to impress the same agri-
cultural committee with the necessity for
an appropriation with which to purchase
wild fores, country in the White noun
tains, that comprises the watersheds or
rivers which flow down through Maine
and also through other New England
states.
i The browntails and the gypsy moths
have not yet invaded central Maine, but
Gov. Burleigh il deeply interested in the eff
forts to check their ravages, and has given
his support to the annual appropriations.
He also, long ago, championed the protec-
ton OF the watersheds Of New England
rivers. A strong organization toward Sc
curing the passage Of the forest bill has
been built up in the House, and he has
striven shoulder to shoulder with Repre-
sentative Currier. Of New Hampshire, in
building it. He is taking hold again this
year, and il it be possible to get a favor
! able report on the bill from the commit
tee, Gov. Burleigh will cooperate with
other New Englsnders in the House to
get it passed there.
The governor has recently been taking
| up another big batch OF pension cases for
veterans OF the third Maine district. He
had the work all up to date early in Janu-
airy, but since then the requests have been
coming in on him. His inside coat poe
kets we're full Of pension papers the other
morning when he started over to the PEN
sion Office. He worked there steadily for
three forenoons till he had called up all
the cases. During the last few days he has
been writing to the veterans all about
| what he found.
Representative Burleigh is well settled
now in his new Office. Every member Of
the House is now provided with com
Portable place in which to meet his con-
stituents and other callers, and also in