Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-30
Dawn Of NeW.Year Where
Nations Laws Are Made.
New Englandefs Fled I he.'
Homes for the Holidays.
Forecast Of the immediate Work
Before Congress.

washington, IL. c., Dec 2S.-tSpe'
ciaD ~ The Capital by the -Potomac
brightens as the advent of the New
Year approaches. That day brings
up the vision of a multitude of call
ers trooping under the cheerless trees
of the White House grounds on the
annual. visit of courtesy to the Presi-
dent. =. The very mention of New
Years in Washington conjures up the
thought of a holiday, of the Marine
Band playing crashing martial music
in the White House vestibule and Of a
long line of army and navy officers
Congressman, officials. and civilians
marching in by twos and stragglinG
out in groups.
OF course an official town like
Washington has many dates during a
twelfth month when It pulls itself to-
gether and tries to do it's level best
That is the dominant good resolution
at the federal Capital on New Years.
1t will be the same next Monday, only
a little more so than usual. For
there are only two months of full
fiedged effort before Congress HES
away, whcreupon the city will lapse
into = cessation from top-notch ac-
IVY ! Tor quite while
NO where else in the country does
one find a city where the Yuletide
season is one of so much leisure. Not
only is Christmas holiday, as it is
throughout the land. but New Years is
also a holiday. The fact that both
those events fall upon Sunday this
year makes no difference. Both holt
days have been fixed for Monday. on
which days the doors of all the de-
partments and governmental offices
are shut fast and no wheel is turning.
More than that. 1t is the custom to
allow in the Departments d half holt
day preceding Christmas and New
Years That has caused not the
slightest embarrassment this season.
Last Saturday was given as a half
holiday before Christmas and there
will also be half holiday this COM
ing Saturday as preliminary to New
Years.
Therefore it matters little that most
Of the lawmakers have gone home or
elsewhere to have their good time
during the holidays. There are fully
10000 government clerks and officials,
free from work and workday cares for
3S hours, not counting the two Sun
days. Many of them enjoy them
selves about the city. which takes on
festal appearance not noted at any
other time of the year. So it is that
the last week of the year is a jolly
one in Washington. No one works
overtime and there is general stor-
ing up of energy for good hard
squirt after the citys chimes have
rung the old year out and the New
Year in.
New EngIanders Went Home.
There has been a big exodus of New
England folks back to their homes from
Washington in recent days. Politically
there are important times in most of the
states of that neck of the country and
the real genuine Yankees who linger are
In small minority.
The Maine people at Washington, of
course, have not gone away on many
political errands. although naturally they
are not averse to getting into touch with
the situation. as it exists for the Demo-
Gratis who are soon to come into legis-
lative and executive power at Augusta
The big Republicans of Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Connecticut have been
anxious to get back and bear a hand in
the election of United States senator's.
In Maine the Democrats have to grappIe
with that problem and their Republican
brethren are only interested lookers-on.
Neither of the Maine senator's expect
to be in the Pine Tree State during the
holidays. There Is winter enough to be
had in Washington, where snow and ice
still impede the going on the asphalted
streets and where there continues to be
Il bracing New England chill in the air.
Representative Swasey has been tarrying
at the Capitol and shows no haste at
getting back to old oxford county for the
holidays. Representatives Burleigh and
Guernsey are both at their homes in
Maine and will remain there till it is
time to come to Washington again for
the resumption of the session.
There will be at least one new senator
from New England to keep the Demo-
cratic senator from Maine company in
the next Congress. AS New England
senators generally make some mark in
Congress Washington takes special note
about the new men elected from that
section. Accordingly the dispatches from
Augusta and Providence will be read
the legislatures of those two states as
semble jointly and begin to ballot
1t may be that the new Maine senator
will have three new colleagues from New
England, for lively contests are under
way in Massachusetts, and Connecticut
for the respective togas of Senators
Henry Cabot Lodge and Morgan G..
Rulkeley. However. he will be the lone
New England Democrat in the Senate
and will have II New England Republican
colleagues. He will sit on the left hand
side of the Senate chamber. as one faceSH
the Vice-President. and his II Yankee |
friends will all be on the other side of |
the center aisle.
Postal Reforms Probable. /
The Taft administration is likely to be |
signalized for extensive postal reforms. |
The grangers of Maine and of states I
clear through to the Pacific, great indus
trial concerns the country over. the
patrons Of the postal service generally
have been identified in some part with
The agitation of q decade. 1t has all
been in the direction of more generous
postal laws and more effective service
There are men who claim that demands
or changes in postal operations which