The Republican journal., 1914-10-22
Our Washington Letter.
Correspondence of The Journal

CORRESPONDENCE of The Journal]
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 10, 1914.
With adjournment of the session of Con-
press right at hand Maine folks are rap
idly vacating the Capitol and all OF them
will probably be away by the end of the
week. Representative Peters departed
several days ago to attend the funeral of
friend at Ellsworth who had been as
ISOLATED with him in the management of
bank. He has been expecting to make
some speeches in the political campaign
in other States, but has also been anx-
ious to clear up some Of his private busl-
ness which has fallen into arrears in re-
cent months because of the pressure of
political duties.
Maine Republicans in Congress all vo.-
ed against the War Revenue Dill, which
they regarded as unnecessary legislation.
It was in accord with Senator Burleigh's
Judgment that this bill should be resist
ed. because he regarded it as an excuse
for the Democrats to cover up the defic-
fences caused by their ill considered tar
iff law, which reduced duties on many
American products unduly. Senator
Burleigh also thought it would be much
wiser to raise additional revenue by
placing duties upon certain articles
which Democrats put on the free list,
such as sugar, which would yield large
revenue without any additional cost up
on the consumer.
When he returns to Washington in De-
cember Senator Burleigh will resume his
efforts for considerable legislation in be-
half of his constituents. He has stead
fastly resisted the efforts of Southerners
in this Congress to get the lions share
of appropriations and has put in many
hard ticks for adequate appropriations
for federal undertakings in Maine. Thus
far this Congress has done very little for
public buildings and Rivers and Hare ors
in Maine. Senator Burleigh worked in
dustriously for several Maine projects of
this character and proposes to keep it up
till the end of the chapter. He has
way of carrying his point in such mat
tiers, even though he has to continue the
campaign over a series of years.
Waldo county escaped the first swing
of the headsman's axe that Topped off
heads of fourth class postmasters in the
Third Maine Congressional district. So
did Somerset and Kennebec. The
changes were entirely in Hancock county,
and these comparatively few. 1t was
all the outcome of the Civil Service
Examinations of last July, the papers
F.! for which have been jim the hands OF
postoffice Department authorities ever
since. Senator johnson proceeded de-
liberately to the task of making recon-
menda ions and the Department was not
disposed to make appointments till the
Senator's recommendations had been re-
ceived
More appointments. of course, are
Forthcoming and heads in Waldo, which
has nearly thirty fourth class postmas-
tiers, and in Somerset and Kennebec,
will undoubtedly fall. 1t does not follow
n ecessarily that the appointees will all
be Democrats. Under the new system
the three who stand at the head of the
eligible list lead all others and one of
those three must be chosen. II there is
no Democrat in the trio the new post
m aster must be Republican.
I Of course, there is manipulation to
get Democrats appointed and this is often
successful. Ways are discovered of
raising insuperable objections to those
who have passed the examinations sue
ces sfully if they are not entirely accep-
tible to the appointing powers. But
many of the incumbents of the Fourth
Glass postoffices in Maine are being
classified" and retained, which means,
of course, that Republicans are holding
on. The first list of appointments made
by Senator johnson included ten new
n ames and 33 classificatlons. According
to this the percentage of new appoint
ments is about Is per cent.
Before he leaves Washington some
time next week Senator johnson expects
to omplete his examination of the pend
ing cases in the first, third and fourth
Congregational districts. All the changes
now contemplated will probably be made
shortly. Representative McGillicuddy
has more to announce in the second dis
trict. He has only begun his work OF
making new fourth class postmasters In
that district.
Two Kennebec County postmasters OF
the Fourth Glass have emerged safely
into the classified" list. One of them
is George E. Coleman, many years post
master at Maranacook, where the pay il
approximately $500 year. and the othel