The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1841-12-18
WASTE OF PUBLIC PROPERTY.

the many tnat attracted ~, ON MS coming INV
Office, was the heavy expenditure for leather
and canpdss mdik bags-indicating great pro
bable waste and extravaganza; and he accord
lngly issued to special agents and postmasters,
at the most prominent points, emphatic lnstruc-
tons on the subject; concluding with the ad-
monition that no duty can well be enJolned
which is regarded as more necessary than this,
(of looking after the public property') nor Is
there any TO which agents OF the Department
will be held to a stricter account.
The answers are beginning TO come in' ana
already they disclose degree OF shameful ne
glect and abuse, which may give some idea oil
the scope for economy and reform which ne mas
already developed in single branch OF the bu-
siness in his Department.
&C., Ia, December 4, lS4l.
"On taking charge Of this office, on the LIST Oco-
Der last, found from the dissection Of two chair
cushions occupied by former clerks ten cansass bags
enclosed and about the number denoted to other
unnecessary purposes In and about The office
eli other Offices were examined, have no doub.
many might be found appropriated to similar illeg
mate uses"
"FARMvILLE Va, Nov. 80, lo4l.
Al have frequently observed indifference and
caeessness with the mail carriers in returning empty
mail bags, and especially canpass bags and we nave
very often 10 ask after them after the delivery OF the
mails. On several occasions, in travelling on stage
lines, have observed the bags were used for
ha tran Ratio nnf lin nd ma al fOr
ROCHESTER, Dec. 18th, 1S4l.
81 would mention that from the inquiries not un-
frequently made here by stage-dyers for bags 10 carry
their horse blankets curry combs brushes, &c, ana
some Of their spn clothing, it would seem that the
practice Of allowing them bags for such purposes has
prevailed less in some quarters. If such be
the fact and such is the impression produced by the
manner Of the inquiries (though we do not comply
with such requests, we hear less of them now than
formerly il would be dicultto account thereby
for perhaps pery considerable loss injury Of bags
throughout The thousands Of routes in the Union r
EVANSVILLE, Ono, Dec :, 1871.
81 am aware considerable negligence and abuse
have existed on this subject, from the fact that on
taking charge of this office in February last was
applied to several Ii by the sagedrvers for canvass
bags 10 keep their currying apparatus in, and 1ohen
refused they seemed quite dspleased and remarked il
had aoays been the custom TO furnish them Nth iohat
Mey aoanted Since that time have suffered none to
be taken for any purpose whatever.
"Whst on the subject of abuses, as you ask for
'unrestrained suggestions suffer to call your atten
ton to one, in my opinion, which calls as loudly for
correction as almost any other that is the thanking
privilege and by none more frequently abused than
those high in authority. This is abuse that re-
qures great decacy the part of the Postmaster to
be able TO detect and not get himself into difficulty
make these suggestions frankly from The fact that sew
eral lettets were received this office during the last
summer franked by members of Congress and others,
when had good reason TO believe that they had no
interest 1chateper in their contents.
"Another sour ce Of vexation, and one which adds
greatly to the size and weight of the mails these
mammoth newspapers; many of them conld not be
reighed at cents by wagon, in the damp condition
in which they mailed"
Removals have in many cases already been
made, as we understand. under the requsiton
of the Postmaster General that Posmasters shall
personally and actively superintend their Offices
and may be expected that the same fate awaits
any Postmaster or contractor who may commit,
or wllfully connive al, any waste or unlawful
appropriation or use Of the property OF the De
partment. There is much use in making known
the nature and extent of the responsibility OF all
public agents, and in stimulating watchfuness
over the performance of their trusts.