Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-17
CAPITAL CHAT.
Committee Rooms for the
Maine Senators.
Senator Ha|s's Part in the
Inaugural Program.
Senator Frye Continues to Be
President Pro Tenn. Of Senate.

Washington, d. c., March 10
(SpeciaD .-There is a great fuss
around in Senate these days. It
pertains to Senate Committee rooms
and offices. The new marble office
building is as good as completed and
Senators are making ready to move
in. But some rooms and suites are
choicer than others and the rivalry is
keen to come off we'll in the scramble.
The new building is a block away
from the Capitol, but can be reached
in three minutes walk. either down
the broad asphalt of New Jersey
Avenue or through the underground
passage, which is traversed by swiftly
moving electric automobiles.
Neither of the Maine Senators will
have quarters in the new building.
have in the Capitol building. The
room of the Committee on Commerce
top floor, northeast corner of the
Senate wing is as good as senator
Frye wants. Senator Hale becomes
chairman of appropriations when the
Senate reorganizes, and will have the
big appropriations room, directly
beneath Senator Fryes Commerce
Room. But the business Of the APP
preparations Committee is so large and
so many people come there day in and
day out on divers errands that it is
difficult to secure the freedom from
interruption which is often necessary
for the chairman of appropriations to
have.
Accordingly Senator Hale wants to
retain his present quarters-top floor.
southeast corner-Where the Naval
Committee has been housed for
number of years. Senator Perkins. of
California, a Maine born man. who *
to become chairman of Naval Affairs.
does not like that plan, but probably
will assent. He wishes to accommo-
date Senator Hale who has been his
friend for many years. The duties OF
the Chairman of Appropriations are
so cxacting that he can not well have
an office for consultation and confer
encc as well as for occasional rest, in
the new marble building. Then in
Mr. Hale's present position it is often
very convenient to have Il corner.
where he can meet Senators to talk
Perkins recognizes and therefore the
matter promises to be adjusted salts
factorily Some other good place for
the Naval Affairs Committee will he
found, which will probably enable
Senator Perkins also to have an Office
in the Capitol rather than in the new
marble building.
Senator Frye. OF Maine. has been
one of the welcome visitors at the
White House offices i'll recent days.
He had a very satisfactory chat with
President Taft who remembers the
Senator's friendship for him during
the early days of the campaign for the
nomination. Senator Frye was the
first of all the New England Senators
to come out in an interview. declaring
his conviction that Mr. Taft was tn"
best fitted of all the presidential as
pirantS for the nomination and he
stuck to it without hinching till the
deciding ballot was taken at Chicago.
In the Senate Mr.. Taft will have no
moro staunch supporter than the
junior Senator from Maine. He be-
licves in the Presidents executive
capacity to deal with the problems
that confront the administration and
expects that Mr. Taft'S conduct in
office will make him very populap with
the country. While he will have no
committee service that touches the
revision of the tariff. Senator Frye il
very much alert to the provisions of
the forthcoming bill that affect Maine
interests
Mr.. Hale's interest for the first week
or two of the extra session will be
centred much upon the work of Senate
reorganization He is chairman OF
the Republican caucus and chooses the
committee that takes the tasks Of re-
organization in hand. 1t will have
good representation of New England
men, including Senator Aldrich, of
Rhode Island; Senator Lodge. Of
Massachusetts: and Senator Flint. of
California. who was born in the old
Bay State.
Senator Hale bears away the credit
for the inaugural innovation, by which
arrangements were made for Mrs.
Taft to ride from the Capitol to the
White House. He urged it 50 strongly
upon the Committee of arrangements
for the Inauguration that the members
thereof finally yielded. Now the news
papers and magazines of the country
have been printing columns about it
and the Senate Committee on Rules.
which had the arrangements chiefly
in charge regard the change as so
popular that, it will undoubtedly be
continued ut future inaugurations The
photographs taken of the new Presi-
dent and his wife on that important
ride up the Avenue to the cheers Of
the inaugural throngs. have attracted