The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-03-11
Our Washington Letter.
Correspondence Of the Journal

postofice has been settled by President Will
sons nomination Of Austin W. Heating in
place Of Amos F. Carleton. It was almost the
last day of the session and the nomination was
hurried through the Senate Postofice Commit
tee and reported to the Senate that it might
be confirmed before adjournment. This con-
firmation of MIR. Heating will enable him to
assume Office forthwith as soon AZ he is able
to arrange with the Postofice Department
satisfactory bond and comply with other rou-
tine requirements.
A survey Of Belfast Harbor. % urged long
ago by Senator Burleigh Of Maine, now seems
in prospect. The Rivers and Harbors bills, as
passed by Senate and House, carried an
authorization for this work. Senator Burleigh
was successful in having several similar sur
veys for the Maine coast adopted. and there is
hope that in the course of q few years these
surveys will be followed by federal appropria-
tions for the improvement Of Harbors and
rivers there.
Burleigh has been active. are: Jonesport Har-
Dor, including Mooseabec Bar; Monhegan
Harbor; mouth of Cape Yeddick River. York;
York Harbor; South Bristol Harbor; Isle au
Haul harbor; Hendrick Harbor; Portland
Harbor, for the removal of Witch Rock; Cots
| Island Channel, and Indian Creek.
Senator Burleigh will remain at Washington
for few weeks, probably. He has Eany pen
sion matters to which he will give mis- persona
attention at the Bureau OF Pensions He also
wishes to remain here awhile on account of
Mrs. Burleigh's health and to avoid for her the
change to the New England climate till it has
| become warmer there. The Senator has been
very industrious in pressing matters of legis
lation in which Maine people are interested.
One of the big tasks in which Senator Bur-
leigh has participated was the defeat of the
administrations ship purchase bill. He was
one of the three or four influential Senators
from New England who worked with might
and main to prevent the enactment of leglsla-
ton for the government ownership OF vessels.
Senator John W. Weeks of Massachusetts,
has been taking an interest in efforts to estab-
fish a Forest Reserve at the headquarters of
the Penobscot River in Maine. Some of the
Maine men in Congress, particularly Senator
Burleigh, presented the matter to Senator
| Weeks because he has been so closely denti.
fed with the legislation for the White Noun
tain Reserve in New Hampshire. Senator
Weeks accordingly wrote the following letter
to the Government Forester, Henry S. Graves:
"Senator Burleigh tells me that application
has been made for an investigation of lands in
the Mount Katahdin region in Maine the
theory that they come within the provision of
the Forestry law which bears my name. being
at and about the headquarters of the Penob
scot River. l do not know anything about the
condition of the appropriation, or whether it
may be added to this winter. but I hope that
an investigation may be made so that if money
is available in the future this section may be
given suitable consideration"
As a matter of fact the appropriation is we'll
nigh exhausted and Congress at the session
which has just adjourned failed to reappro-
pirate about 100000 which could not be used
in the first two years of the operation of the
Weeks law, because the Geological Survey was
unable to complete the survey of purchasable
lands within the time the appropriation was
available. But there is hope that Congress
will ultimately appropriate this 100000,
some of which would be for purchases in the
Appalachian system, and then there might be
some chance for the Mount Katahdin proj ect.
| Dr. George Otis Smith, Director of the
Geological Survey and former resident of
Skowhegan, Maine, has had charge of the ex-
tensive survey work incident to those large
purchases for the White Mountain and Appa-
lachian reserve. The work has been done in a
very satisfactory manner to all concerned. DR..
Smith, as Director of the Survey recommend
ed to Mr.. Taft while President the withdrawal
of extensive areas of oil lands in California
This act of President Taft has recently been
upheld in an important decision of the United
States Supreme Court and will probably re-
suit in the saving of millions of dollars to the
government
The Maine Democrats are through for the
present with their death struggle over postal
patronage. They have been taking the plum
for hot and heavy scrimmages away from the
Vermont Democrats. and that is saying great
deal For months they have been striving to
get down to the point of selecting Democrats
for several of the larger post offices in Maine,
but the fight for the nominations was SO brisk
Senator johnson was loath to announce his
endorsements. Candidates for these places
have been journeying numerously to Washing
ton and the mails have been burdened with
their representations and recommendations.
It is said here that the bite rness engendered
by dozen or of these big postoffice fights
among Maine Democrats would suffice. if there
were nothing else, to defeat the party at the
next State election.
While the fights have been in progress Re-
publican incumbents have been drawing the
salaries. For example the commission of
Amos F. Carleton at Belfast expired January
9th, almost two months ago. The commission
of Frank I,Averill as postmaster at Old Town,
expired January 10Th, while that of Charles H,
White as postmaster at Orono expired Febru. |
airy LIST. So it runs with a lot of other Repub-
lican postmasters in Maine. They have rea-
son to be thankful for the Democratic wrang-
ling that keeps them in Office. John M. Oak,
postmaster at Bangor, has been holding On
since December 18th last, which was the date
when his commission expired.
Down at Stockton Springs there was little
more expedition. Tn ecommission Of Harry
R. Hichborn as postmaster there expired Feb
ruary 23rd, but Rufus L. Mudgett was NOM
mated by President Wilson and had been
confirmed by March 4th. There was more de-
lay at Winterport. where Ira &. White has