Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-02-08

should be no pubic ouuolngS Dill ~ snAS
session. He was very anxious to take
care Of few more projects in Maine.
These, however, will have to go over to
the next Congress, where it has not yet
been determined whether Maine will have
a member of the public buildings commit
tee, as has been the case for quite twenty
years. He was one of those who urged
the necessity of appropriating at this ses-
sion for projects that have already been
authorized.
As the result of representations, which
Gov Burleigh and others made, the Presi-
dent some time ago had the necessary
estimates forwarded to the speaker OF the
House. The friends of the various pend
ing projects are looking out that the nee
essary sums are carried on the sundry
civil appropriation bill, which the House
appropriations committee is now framing.
Gov. Burleigh is making special effort
to close out his work before the pension
bureau. All that he can do in furthering
the adjudication OF claims there in behalf
of veterans in the third Maine district
will be done during the next three weeks.
He has made several visits of late to the
bureau, whose officials are giving special
consideration to the cases he has called to
their attention.
Representative Allen, of the first dis
trict, has also had quite budget Of de-
partmental work, but he has been
gradually turning it over to his successor,
Representative-elect Kinds. Most of the
Maine men here will return to their
homes as soon as Congress adjourns and
give attention to their private affairs. 1t
is not believed here that there will be an
extra session of Congress, notwithstand-
ing the many assertions to the contrary.
Nothing is likely to force an extra session,
unless it be fillibustering by the insur-
gents Of the Senate.
At last the House fight over congress
sional apportionment which has been
strung along through the entire session
seems abont to come to a head. At times
it has looked well for the Pine Tree State
and at other times it has not. No one can
say positively to-day that Maine will OBJ
tain the desired four members Of Congress
for the next decade. And yet ex-Gov.
Burleigh thinks there is still some
thing more than a fighting chance. He
thinks that the prospects are almost good
for victory.
The Maine republicans in the House
have had to stand the ordeal OF party
caucus on the matter. 1t is decidedly to
t,ofao hot he hos
proved something OF fizzle. They pro-
tested against making such a caucus bind
ing. Representative Guernsey, OF the
fourth district, insisted in a vigorous
speech that it certainly was not fair to try
to hold a man to go into the House and
vote to reduce the representation from his
own state. That sentiment was much
applauded. The attendance was lean and
was not regarded as at all representative
Of the party strength or sentiment in the
present House.
1t is apparent that only small contin-
gent Of the republican members will
regard the verdict Of the caucus to keep
the membership at its present strength Of
391 as binding. They believe it was not
fair play, and have been so saying right
out in the open. The Crumpacker- Bur-
leigh bill, providing for a membership Of
433, which would give Maine four, will
probably be brought up this week.
Chairman Crumpacker expects it will be
on Thursday.
The tug-of-war will come on the figure
433. Gov. Burleigh and the Maine men
have been as busy as could be ever since
the caucus trying to get enough republic
cans together to make majority with the
democrats, most OF whom are for the
larger House. The republican leaders,
and very many Of the older members OF
both parties, are stoutly against that kind
OF proposition, and it is something OF a
| question how much strength they can
muster. 1t may remain uncertain right
up to the hour Of voting.
| The New York republicans have APP
parently been defeated in their efforts to
prevent the passage OF an apportionment
bill this winter. And yet there are sus-
picions of deep political plans back of all
that has been going on in the open. Pos
sibly the fight will be carried to the Sem
ate, although that would be unusual. The
Maine men are not unaware of that pros
poet, although more concerned just at
present about the situation in the House.
COUNTY GOSSIP.
Z. ii. Hooper has been renominated for
postmaster of Castine.