Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-02-16
FROM WASHINGTON.

FROM WASHINGTON.
RIVER and Harbor Bill Aids Bar Har-
bor-Maine Members Busy.
WASHINGTON, d. c.. Feb. "A especially
Every coast county Of the third Maine
district gets an appropriation under the
river and harbor bill which Representative
D. s. Alexander, OF New York, chairman
of the committee, is putting through the
House this week. Representative Burieigh
had two Of the seven Maine items in the
bill, one for $4,000 for continuing con-
struction on the breakwater from Mount
Desert to Porcupine island, 81 Bar Harbor,
and another for 81. 900 for completing the
improvement of the harbor at Stockton
Springs.
The Mount Desert breakwater has been
represented in many river and harbor bills
ever since Gov. Burleigh represented the
third Maine district, and even before that.
ing after appropriations for that project
at his end OF the capitol. The total Of
Maine river and harbor items in the cur
rent bill is $175, 600, and of that $500 goes
to projects in the third district. As . mat
ter OF fact every Maine project, upon
which the army engineers had reported
favorably, is in the bill, thanks to the ef-
forts of the Maine members Of the House,
and also to the sympathetic corporation
OF Representative Alexander. He il ma
tive OF Sagadahoc county, and a. loyal Q
Maine man IS ever came to Congress.
Usually the Maine members, having no
representation on the river and harbor
committee, do the best they can with the
House committee, but getting only part
of what they want from the House, rely
upon Senator Frye, whose committee
handles river and harbor bills at the other
end of the capitol, to help them out. But
that course Of procedure throws items into
conference where there is always 4 stir
fight. Representative Alexander has
anticipated all that this year, and ali
Senator Frye has to do is to keep the
Maine items in the bill. There ap-
parently will be no trouble in conference
this year over the Maine items, and there
is practically nothing left for Senator
Frye to get into the bill.
The Senate postoff1ce committee has
expressed its opinion in adverse terms Of
the 'Spalding claims, SO called, affecting
additional salaries Of postmasters who
served between 1884 and 1874. As was
recently pointed out in these letters,
there is number of these claimants in
practically every county OF Maine. They
are surviving postmasters of Maine cities
and towns and the heirs and assigns of
those who are deceased. Il has been
stated in the Senate that at least some
Of these claimants have been encouraged
to contribute to firm Of attorneys in
Washington for the purpose Of paying the
expense OF keeping these claims alive and
for pressing them before Congress.
1t was largely at the suggestion OF Sena-
tor Hale, some weeks ago, that the whole
matter was referred to the Senate commit
tee on postoffices and postroads, of which
Senator Penrose, Of Pennsylvania, is
chairman, for an investigation and report.
Senator Penrose has found that the claims
are without any standing, which means
that it is futile for the claimants to en-
courage claims attorneys to collect the
sums alleged to have been due. 1t has
been repeatedly stated that the postmas-
tiers serving between 1854 and 1874 had
been paid by the government all tn
money to which they were legally en-
titled; also that the alleged claims were
based upon an Interpretation Of law
which is not officially sanctioned.
Because OF the activity Of late in trying
to revive these claims, an employee of the
Senate has been dismissed, and there has
been unfavorable gossip about the
interests OF western senator in them.
Mai. Estes G. Rathbone, once fourth as
sistant postmaster general, who fell into
disgrace in Cuba and was dismissed there
from his position as director of ports, has
been trying to obtain legislation which
would permit OF the auditing of the
claims. 1t is not charged that he is at all
to blame, for his activities are supposed to
have been entirely honorable. Nevert he
less, the Senate has put quietus upon the
claims, and it is doubtful whether any
further effort will ever be made to collect
them.
The Maine members OF Congress have
had busy February. All of them have
been engaged to greater or less extent in
committee work. Both the Senate and
the House are behind with their commit
tee work, with the consequence that neither
body has been able to work as coutinu-
ously as it could have done had the pre-
liminary work on bills been disposed
Of. Then all Of them have considerable
departmental work to attend to at this
time OF year and that occupies much OF
their time in the forenoons.
Representative Burleigh has been at
ta n n mo- RI eor,o Odds and ax,1s - r..-:.t.