Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-24
Administration Decides TO
keepDowa Appropriations.
Cong. BufIsigh Disappointed Be-
cause His Work Is Held Up.
viii Elxht for Good Sums In Sun.
dry Civil Blll..capital Gossip.

Washington, Jan. 23,-tSpeciaD.-
There will be no public building bill
enacted by Congress this winter and
accordingly few projects which have
been under contemplation for Maine
must wait Representative Burleigh,
of the third district. who is a member
of the public buildings committee, ex-
pressed his regret today that this de-
cisioY should have been reached. He
has been much interested in getting
buildings authorized for Pittsfield and
Fairfield and two or three other towns
in the District. The work, however,
must be deferred till the next Congress
at least. This is the decision of the
Administration.
There are two or three reasons for
this decision. One of them is the de-
sire OF the administration to keep down
appropriations. With the Presidents
full approval appropriations are being
cut wherever it seems possible. Then
there are now so many public building
projects under way that the superVis-
ing architects office OF the Treasury.
where supervision is exercised over
most of this public building work. is
so behind hand that it will be year
or two before they can catch up.
A yoodly number of public buildings
were authorized at the last session
of Congress but in many cases the full
amount of the authorizations was not
Appropriated. The President did not
want the appropriations made for the
remainder of the authorizations at
this session. He believed that the ne
gotiations for the purchases of sites
could be halted and that constructive
work on buildings could be delayed
wherever there was not enough money
to continue the activities for another
year.
Therefore no estimates for more pub
lie buildings we're sent in when Con-
gress assembled but senators and rep
resentatives made such strong pro-
test that the estimates have just been
forwarded While there will be no
public buildings bill, the amounts OF
money needed to proceed with the au-
thorizations already made. will be
carried on the sundry civil appropria-
ton bill, which will be presented to the
House some time in February. Gov.
Burleigh has been very insistent that
good sums be appropriated for the
Maine projects and will give his per-
soaal attention to getting the neces-
sary appropriations on the sundry civ
IL bill. The estimates which Secretary
of the. Treasury MacVeagh has just
sent in provide for Maine projects as
follows: Caribou. $4,000; Hallowcll.
$4,000; Rurnford Falls. $4,000: Skowle-
gan. 10000: Waterville. $4,000; and
Gardiner. $1,000.
Gov. Rurleigh. as member of the
public buildings committee. was In
strumentai In getting all these build
ing projects authorized and wishes to
sec them through" before he quits
Congress. He has served on the pub
lie buildings committee ever since he
was in Congress and has made no
small feature of his service the OBJ
tanning of appropriations for public
buildings in his home State. He is now
the ranking member of the committee
and presides in the absence of the
chairman. While giving special at
tention to the cities and towns in his
own district he has also looked out for
his three Maine colleagues and helped
them to recognition on the bill when
ever the House was about to enact
an omnibus measure.
More than one hundred public build
ings bills have been already intro
duced at the present session CT Con-
gress none of which will be passed.
but they serve to call attention to
the projects and they doubtless will
be taken up for action during the
Sind Congress. 1t is the omnibus bill
that is started in the House that means
legislation. Frequently some senator
has a special bill passed in that
branch but it never goes beyond that.
The last three Congresses of two years
each have each passed one omnibus
bill. Prior TO that it was the rule for
every other Congress to pass an omni-
bus bill.
Both Of the new Maine Congress
men are in Washington this week at
tending the Democratic caucus. Rep
resentative- elect $. w. Gould came
on a little ahead of time but was
Joined later by Representative:elec
MeGillicuddy. They left for home,
Friday. 1t has been reported here that
Senator-elect Charles F. Johnson might
also be in town this week. 1t is the
biggest week in Washington that the
Democrats nave had in quite Is years
and. the town is interested in seeing
tile Democrats make the most of it,
Senator HaIe's Activity.
SepafCr Halp iS taking n very active