Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-03-30

with several matters OF Maine concern, in
which his Pine Tree State colleagues CO.
operated with him. He helped in the
hard House fight to prevent the elimina-
tion of the pension agency at Augusta.
Although that fight was lost, the deter
mined work that group of such men as
Gov. Burleigh did will help the cause
along in the Senate, where it is expected
the provision for continuing the pension
agencies at a number of cities, including
Augusta, will be revived.
There has been a strong effort for years
to inaugurate system for the payment OF
pensions to soldiers direct from Washing
ton. This would necessitate the dismissal
of about eighteen prominent veterans,
like Gen. Selden Common, at Augusta, and
also the dismissal Of many of their clerks
or the transfer Of those clerks to Wash
ington where living is high and where the
salaries they are now paid would not be
adequate. The New England senators ex-
pect to be able to put the provision back
in the bill, but the hard fight will come in
conference between the two houses.
Representative Burleigh is continuing
the preparation Of public building items
for the omnibus bill, which there is still
some hope of Congress taking up before
the end of the session. There will be
many New England items in this bill, in
Guiding some for Maine, all Of which the
| subcommittee, Of which Gov. Burleighsis
chairman, has been carefully considering.
II the bill is to be taken up it must I've
made ready within a few weeks. The
great problem is to determine what pro-
jects can wait and what projects are most
worthy, as the demands for economy in
public expenditures make it imperative
that the total of the omnibus bill shall be
as small as it can well be.
This is the Easter season when many
high school classes are visiting Washing
ington. Nearly all the Maine memb beers OF
the House have had a turn at showing
courtesies to these young visitors and
arranging for the speaker, the President
and other high officials to give them a
handshake. Two or three high school
classes have been here from the third
Maine district, including the Waterville
high schools graduating class. Gov.
Burleigh co-operated all he could to help
these young tourists to have an enjoyable
visit at the national capital.
The House has resumed its wonted
calm. The new elective rules committee
of ten is ION the job". Business is pro-
ceeding steadily. There is disposition
to legislste through to q finish the pro-
gramme which President Taft outlined
some months ago, and there is less and less
talk about insurgency.
Gossip about the probable attitude of
ex-President Roosevelt toward the Taft
and anti-Taft factions continues to
abound. There are few very good
pointers on that subject. One Is the
course of his son-in-law, Representative
Nicholas Long worth, of Ohio. 1t is
hardly to be supposed that Mr.. Long
worth would be voting and acting in Con-
gress in way that would put him into
opposition against his distinguished
father-in law.
During the long, hard fight in the House
over the authorization of q new committee
on rules, which was brought about by the
combined votes Of the House democrats
and some thirty-odd insurgents, Repre-
sentative Longworth voted steadily with