The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-02-13
Letter from MaShinqto.l.
The Apportionment Problem. Gypsy and
Brown Tail Moths. Governor Burleigh
and Pensions Public Building for Calais.

and Pensions Public Building for Calais.
| Especial TO The Republican Journal)
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 10. "Uncle
Joe" Cannon has his colts now all rein
ed in. There is an example of daily i'll
dustry at the Capital. At last every
body, who is willing to take up the
tools, has something to labor on. There
are no unemployed, or at least there
need be no unemployed. Every Con-
gresham has something to do, If he
will do it, even if it be nothing more
than voting when his name is called and
drawing his official salary.
The Maine Congressman are Eat ii"
They are a pretty industrious lot any
way. Other things being equal they
will work quite as we'll as any other
Congressional quartette at the Capitol.
Some eight years ago Governor Bur-
leigh, who was then, as now, member
of the Committee on the Census, had
the question to meet whether a reap
| portionment bill could be passed that
| would increase the membership of the
| House of Representatives SO that Maine
| would retain her four members. Every
| body said he could not swing it and that
| Names four would have to become
three. But the Governor got strangle
f! hold by good luck and forced the opposl-
ton to the floor. Apparently he can not
hope to do it again, the conditions
against him are seemingly too overpow-
ering. But he will try it. The prepare
lions for the census are being made. With
the taking of the census will come the
question of the apportionment, which
is the struggle. 1t is still about two
years off, but the preparations for such
fight have to be made long in advance
and Governor Burleigh is actively plan
ming the campaign.
Representative Burleigh is well set
tied in his new office. Every member
of the House is now provided with a
comfortable place in which to meet his
constituents and other callers and also
Ill W HUI w udDOlC hlo ASoPoANSAlSS'
Gov. Burleigh's suite of offices is on
the second floor of the new marble
office building, at the east side, with a
western exposure and faces upon big
court. 1t is farther from the House of
Representatives than some other offices,
but this is fully compensated for in the
fact that it is just across the hall from
the large rooms of the Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds. When
the new office building was completed
this committee changed its rooms from
the Capitol to that building.
Very much of the Governors COM
mittee work is there. He was accord
ingly satisfied to have his offices near by
so that he could go in and out conve-
niently. The committee has been doing
little thus far this session, but when
the time for framing an omnibus bill
arrives it holds many meetings and
hears many people. Whether there
will be an omnibus bill this session no
one seems able to tell. Speaker Cannon
has not made up his mind whether
there ought to be one. Gov. Burleigh
saws there are lots Of cities and big
towns that ought to be provided with
better accommodations for handling
the public business. He is looking after
the interests of Belfast, Bar Harbor,
| Calais, Waterville, Gardiner and other
Maine towns as regards public building
facilities.
Mr.. Robert A Cony, Jr., an Augusta
boy, who is his private Secretary, keeps
house in the new office when the Gov
ernor is away at the Capitol. The lat
ter building is two long blocks away,
but the entire distance is sheltered. A
| tunnel, which very much resembles the
subway in Boston, runs between the
Capitol and the north side of the Office
| building. Then there is ride up one
flight on the elevator and a tramp down
a corridor block long
Maine and New Hampshire people
have been in Washington in force for
several days because there is legisla-
ton pending here in which they are
concerned. The State entomologist,
Prof. E. F. Hitchings from Augusta,
has been before the Committee on Ag-
riculture with a number of experts
from other New England States, talk
ing about the necessity of federal
appropriations with which to fight
gypsy and browntail moths. This has
come to be an annual migration to
Washington, as the New England ex-
perts come down to tell the Agricuftu-
raj committee Of the progress of the
determination and of the necessity for
more funds. Still another annual
migration has come to the experts on
forestry, who journey to Washing
ton to impress the same Agricultural
Committee with the necessity for an
appropriation with which to purchase
wild forest country in the White Noun
tains, that comprise the watersheds of
rivers which flow down through Maine
and also through other New England
States.
Tho 70 opd tho uvncv r,ofbc