Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-02-19
FROM WASHINGTON.
Small Appropriations for Public
Ruildings-Politic Activity.

small appropriations to' """N
Buildings-Political Activity.
WASHINGTON, d. C., Feb. is especially
The dollars will not come jungling out OF
| the treasury in any profusion this winter
| for projects OF any character along the
Maine coast. There are always some
harbor improvements, or some river
! dredging or some contracts for building
materials which the government has to
| use, or some shipping legislation that
concerns the numerous small craft plying
along the Maine coast, which the delega-
| ton from the Pine Tree state always
stands ready to help along for its con-
stituents.
shut any more tightly than they seem to
be this winter. Senator Hale, as one OF
the great appropriation chiefs, is helping
keep them shut. And while Maine may
fare badly in the matter OF federal appro-
priations, all the other states have similar
| complaints, and there is no discrimina-
ton. There is still mountain of surplus
revenues in the treasury or available in
time OF need, but the leaders in Senate
and House are toiling with all their might
| to keep this mountain from being whitfield
away.
Senator Hale will get a few Maine items
upon the appropriation bills probably.
He generally manages to do that at every
session by hook or by crook, but he will
ask for no large sums this session. He is
a man who practices economy for his own
constituents when he breaches it for the
country.
Maine congressman have received many
inquiries in regard to positions in the
public building work that is to be taken
up this spring at Calais, Augusta, Bar
Harbor and elsewhere. 1t should be said,
however, that all these positions are
entirely under civil service, and that they
will be in no cases under charge OF local
men.
Among the MINOR things that Congress
man Burleigh has recently undertaken is
to secure an increase OF salary for the
laborers at the fisheries stations at Craig
brook and Green lake. Though it is
doubtful il he succeeds, Mr.. Burleigh has
determined at least to make the attempt.
He recently wrote a letter to Chairman
Tawlfey, of the committee on appropri-
atoms, in regard to this matter, and re-
ceived the following reply which explains
itself:
Deay Sir:
Your letter urging favorable action by the
committee on appropriations in the matter of
increasing the pay of laborers at the fisher
les stations at Craig brook and Green lake.
Maine, is at hand. and in reply will say that
the matter will have careful consideration
when we come to make up the sundry civil
appropriation bill. Yours very sincerely.
ia. TAwsEy.
Representative Burleigh, seeing how
hopeless it is to persuade the House to
make any considerable appropriations for
Maine projects this winter, is proceeding
upon new tack. He is Staying pipe" for
the future. For instance, one of the gov
ernor's lines of activity is public build
ings. Very quietly, but none the less
effectively, he has been at work for nearly
ten years providing Maine cities and the
larger Maine towns with adequate public
buildings. When the late Representative
Milliken was in Congress he made great
progress in that direction.
Gov. Burleigh took up that work, and
has secured government appropriations,
until at present Maine is probably better
provided with government buildings than
any other state in the Union.
And yet that does not mean Maine has
all the government buildings the federal
business there warrants. Some OF the
wisest men in Congress have long ad-
vocated that every postofsice of the presi-
dental class should be housed in gov
eminent building. The country is still
very far from such a condition OF affairs,
but Governor Burleigh is doing his ut
most to bring about such a condition in
Maine.
Every little while he sends up to the
little basket on the desk of the clerk of
the House sheet of paper. He has writ
ten bill for a new public building at
some town in the third Maine district. 1t
is printed in due time, and a copy sent
over to the public buildings committee, OF
which he is member. About that time
he finds the opportunity to go up to the
treasury department and to consult with
the building officials and to acquaint them
with the condition in that particular
Maine town.
Sooner or later, Congress refers the bill
there for recommendation and report.
The governor also gathers the statistics of
postoffice and other public business in
that town and gets that where it can be
had. He is doing lot of this work this
winter, although the word has gone
around that there is to be no public build
ing legislation. But there will be such