The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-04-09
Letter From Washington
Fields s. Pendleton Looking After Ship
ping Interests. Work of Maine Repre-
sentatives. The Building Bill. Promo
tion of Gen. Hall.

SeHtatlVeS. Inc bullOlHS Dill. E1Ouo-
tion of Gen. Hail.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 80. (Spec-
iaD. A Maine man, Fields S. Pendleton,
has been here recently fighting one of
the old battles that has brought him to
Washington many time and oft. He
is president of the Atlantic Carriers ,
Association, and every winter comes
down to Washington to take hand in
the numerous shipping bills which come
up before the Senate or House for con-
sideration. This time Mr.. Pendleton
came to oppose the granting of Ameri-
can registry to the Eva, a vessel owned
in New York but built abroad. Every
little while Congress is asked on one
pretext or another to grant American
registry to foreign ships that have been
wrecked or stranded and afterward re-
built or repaired, but not to an extent
that would bring them American regis
try under the general law. Mr.. Pendle-
ton has been one of the most active op-
ponents of such legislation as inlmlcal
to the interests of American built ships
and as also inimical to the interests OF
American labor. AS rule he has been
very successful in this opposition, for
but few enactments of that character
have been had in Congress. The Maine
members of the Senate and House have
stood very firmly for that idea, holding
it an injustice to the shipyards in Maine
and elsewhere to allow these foreign
ships registry by special laws. Mr.. Pen
dleton has also been looking after the
-pilotage bill during his stay in
Washington, but it is recognized that
the bill has little chance in this Con-
gress. Representative Littlefield has
been pressing it in his committee, and
hopes for favorable report, but while
he may secure such a report it IS doubt
full if the House will care to antagonize
organized labor just before the Presl-
Dental election by making the bill
law. Mr.. Pendleton has been taking
less aggressive stand regarding the leg
islation at this session, believing that
he could better subserve its interests
by leaving the work to others. The
Southerners have kept lobby here in
opposition to the bill, and it has been
suggested that, if the shipping men in
New England and elsewhere who want
the bill abstain from such methods as
the Southerners have followed they
would be stronger with members of
Congress when the time for voting
comes.
The Maine members of the House
now believe they are on the last month
of the session. The rush and whirl to
get business through Senate and House,
which characterizes the closing weeks
of Congress, has already begun and the
Maine men are joining in the activity
that their measures may not be lost
Representative Burleigh is still peg
ging away with that big omnibus pub
lie building bill, which Speaker Cannon
thinks may be allowed to go through,
and is helping to get the items "sized
up and arranged to the satisfaction of
a majority of members, so that the bill
may pass with minimum OF friction.
The thing that worries Gov. Burleigh
is how to arrange the bill and still have
the total within about S12, 100000. He
has figured over that great deal and
has brought it to the attention of his
subcommittee, which has the jurisdic-
ton of public building projects in all
New England and several other States.
1t is expected that the limit will be
raised and unless this is DONE the COM
mittee will be at a loss what to do with
the many projects that have to be con-
sldered Boston alone wants So, 100000
for a new custom house, which would
exhaust the total that Gov. Burleigh's
subcommittee would be allowed under
a S12,OOO,OOO bill. 1t goes without say
ing that he will care for as many prof.
ects in Maine as may be possible. There
are several bills for Maine public build
ings, all of which the Governor has
gathered upon his desk and is consider
ing in the making up of the omnibus
measure.
President Roosevelt the other day
granted request by Representative
Burleigh that Gen. Charles B. Hall, a
Maine man, who has been commandant
of the United States Infantry and Cav
airy School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan
sas, be promoted to major general.
Gen. Hail has now been commissioned,
and is the only Maine man to attain
that rank in the regular army establish
ment for several years. Other Maine
men here joined in the request to the
President. Gov. Burleigh called per-
sonally at the White House and told
the President of his special interest in