Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-14

This is something to which Senator
Burleigh has always given close at
tention, during his service in Congress.
The Maine members of the two
legislative branches will have some
Committee service to perform from
this time on, but little that has to do
with the larger measures. This is
because they do not happen to be on
committees particularly identified
with the notable work now ahead.
Representative Guernsey of tn
Fourth District has had a part in
framing the Alaskan railroad bill,
which is now coming up again in the
House. He will probably have. some
thing to say during the debate on the
bill.
Second Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Stewart in current statement
makes it plain that transportation of
mails in Maine and other states of the
northeast section of the country is
costing the government a good bit
more than heretofore. No figures
are given for Maine as a State but
for all of New England. New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Delaware,
Maryland and the two Virginias, the
increased cost for service on the rail-
roads is approximately s2,169, 900
This represents an increase over what
the government has been paying the
last four years of about 25 per cent
Up to June 80 last the Postoffice De-
partment had been paying for mail
transportation on the rail routes OF
these states annually $S,S54, 1892
During the past year the mails were
weighed in Maine and the other states
concerned, which are the ones includ-
ed in this contract section, and the
new figures were made upon the basis
of the increased volume. There was
not only a larger volume of mail tc
carry but there was a greater fire.
quency of service. In the entire con-
tract section it was shown that the
increase in annual travel of trains
with mails was 139,07764 miles. All
these figures applied in the fixing OF
contract prices for the Maine railroads
An omnibus claims bill, that has
passed the House and is now before
the Senate. carries these items for
Mairfe: Jacob B. Loring of Knox
county, s14S.2S; Whitman l.. Orcutt
of Aroostook county, $S7S.47; William
L. Ross of Penobseot county, $47.56
These items have all been approved
by the Court of Claims, sitting ir
Washington, and are all for increases
in pay as officers of the army.
The Postoffice Department has ac-
cepted the proposal of Ex-senator AL
bert F. Donigan at Bingham, Maine
to lease new quarters ON the west side
of Main street, between Preble and
Donigan streets for ten years. The
price of the rent Is not made public
but 1t includes equipment, heat, light
water, safe and, when necessary
parcel post and postal savings bank
equipment.
Many petitions are coming down
from Maine in behalf of the So called
Lindquist pure leather and pure fabric
bill. Representatives McGillicuddy
and Guernsey have presented such
petitions in the House where they
have been referred to the House COM
mlttee on interstate commerce. The
petitions have been something of a
surprise here as they are for a bill
which is intended, at least in part, for
the embarrassment of shoe manufac-
turers, of whom there are many in
Maine. One purpose of the bill is to
permit in interstate commerce only
boots and shoes that are made entirely
of leather and to prevent the use of
substitutes for leather in certain parts
of the product that are not subjected
to wear and tear. few western men,
fond of batting New England, are
chiefly behind the measure.
The bill apparently has no prospec.
of becoming law. There is probably
not sufficient support behind it to
bring the House Committee on Inter-
state Commerce to allow it further
consideration. A few weeks ago the
committee gave a hearing, at which
prominent and reliable manufacturers
OF shoes were present from various
sections of the East, South and West.
They spoke unanimously against the
bill. as likely to work little or no ad-
vantage and to cause embarrassment,
= enacted, into law, alike for the max
and wearers Of shoes. One result
"ould be to increase the cost of leath-
er, as 1t would increase the demand
therefor. On the whole the wearing
qualities of shoes, 1t was claimed,
would not be improved by such legis-
lation.
Numerous petitioners in Maine have
been writing here in behalf of legisla-
tion that would impose tax upon
mail order houses, doing business in
other states. The purpose is to COM
pei concerns selling goods that way to
contribute their portion of the funds
for the development of the local COM
munity, county and state. The parcels
post has made this mail order business
prosper in some degree and it is
claimed to be to the prejudice of local
store keepers. A bill has been intro
duced and is before the House COM
mittee on ways and means.