Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-06-20

4 : 'AN~t
In 1888, we will find four "Super-
lniendents of Indian Affairs" with
salaries of 81 500 each, per year sir
Superintendent of emigration, with
salaries Of $4,000 each, per year /:
fourteen " Indian sub-agen,s," with
salaries of $3.50 per year fhirty-three
commissioners and special agents, I"
who are paid from So to S. per day.
and from $1,000 10 $4,000 per year
fifteen " conducting and enrolling a.
gents !" at S3, 81, and So per day !;
mo conductors exploring parties. :"
at S3 and So per day; tro ''vaIunc
agents" at 81 each, per day eight
collecting agents." at So so per day,
each t'co issuing agents." at 81
per day, each ; one "dlsbursing agent"
at 80 per day sixteen assistant a.
gents" at SO and 81 per day, and
from 500 to 1900 dolls. each, per
year; thirty-one interpreters at agen.
cles,," at 800 dolls. each, per year
fourteen :" interpreters in the emigra.
ton OF Indians" at 2 dolls. so cts. and
8 dolls. per day, each |; fifteen "phy.
slclans," at salaries varying from 3,
8, and 6 dolls. per day to 81 dolls. per
month; eteren "clerks," (other than
those in the Office at ashingion,) at
salaries varying from 3 and 5 dolls. per
day, to 40 and so dolls. per month, and
500 and 1000 dolls. per year ffiy-
three "blacksmilhs," with salaries va.
rying from 240 to 600 dolls. per year
fwenfy " farmers and assistants" at 2,
3, 8 and 600 dolls. per year; eighteen
teachers" with various salaries, from
500 to 500 dolls. per year; fire "mll.
lers," with salaries of 500 and 600
dolls. one surveyor" at dolls. per
day the whole concluding with fre
miscellaneous agents." with salaries
of s per day, and 600 dolls. per year.
But even this is not all. The Com.
missioner of Indian affairs saws, the
list given by him in the Blue Book is
not accurate or complete. He ieares
room 10 add or alter. Here, indeed, is
a display of patronage Ought we
no, to be astonished to find this state
of things, under an Administration
whose friends protested to be shocked
at multiplication Of Offices, and re-
published, IN the report of this House
IN 1928, the warning of that Chief
Magistrate who said: Considering
the general tendency to multiply Offices
and dependencies, and to increase er-
penSe to the ultimate term Of burden
which the citizens can bear, it be.
hooves us TO avail ourselves Of every
occasion which presents itself for Ia
king off the surcharge." 1t is appro-
pirate, too, now, to refer gentlemen, to
the censure which that report cast on
the Secretary of War, in 1928, for
paying 753 dollars for additional clerk
hire, IN the business Of Indian Affairs.
Mr.. b. said he was here tempted to
name one or two Offices in particular,
! which seem 10 have been created for
special favourltes one of them under
the law authorizing the President to
sign land patents by an agent, instead
of dong it as heretofore, in person.
ii he could moi find time to do this du-
ty, as Mr.. Adams and all his prede.
cessors did, then it would have been
better to dispense with the signature
altogether, as you have done with that
of the Commissioner Of the General
Land Office. The Presidents name
now is not even written by his proxy,
cs it should be, but is written by some
clerk in the Land Office, and the whole
service of The proxy or agent consists
in writing his own name For this he
is paid 1900 dolls. per annum The
place is held by one of the Presidents
sons, and it is an indirect mode of in.
creasing the Presidents salary. The
compensation is too high, under any
circumstances. For a service requi-
ring neither skill nor talent, and EN-.
ploying very small portion of this
young gentleman's time, he receives a
higher salary than many ofthe Cover
nors and other high officers in the sew
eral states do
Another office specially created is
that of the " Smithsonian agent" with
salary of 5000 dolls. year, and
furnishing a convenient sojourn for a
gentleman wishing to visit London
The duties Of this place might we'll
have been discharged by ordinary cor
respondence, but, at all events, they
are such as could justly be required at
the hands of our resident Minister at
London. Ii cannot be overlooked that
Richard Rush was Secretary of the
Treasury, and received the censure
and condemnation Of the Retrench.
ment Committee. And yet Mr.. Rush
was appointed to the Office of the
Smithsonian agent. | will leave il for
others to apply what the chairman of
tho Cuunitten IN Rptrenchment eaid