, 1870-03-01

~~
During The debate In the House Of Repre
sentadyes On the Civil Appropriation bill,
while proposition was pcndinR to srcate
an additional " Assistant Commissioner In
one Of The departments, the whole business
Of the civil service WA somewhat rudaly
ventilated. 1t was generally conceded that
the number Of persons employed waa l1rgeiy
in e1cess Of what was needed, and that the
innmeuse additional expenditure vas caused
by the utter absence OF organization OF sys-
TEN. In the debate, Mr. Dawes advocAtad
the establishment Of the new Office, because
the sane clause required large reduction
IN the number q other ofdcezg. he also
s:ated that Aoms time ago Congress cut OF
some thirty clerks in one branch Of the ser-
vics, whereupon tho bureau chief rushed to
the House demanding their restoration.
When asked II, after his long experience in
oflee, he could not suggest some mode
whereby efficiency could be secured by a
smsller force, this chief Of bureau said
that, il he could have the management SO as
to reorRanize and rediatribute the force, he
cculd do the work with one-half the numbar
Of clerks, Yet that same officer, Mr. Dawes
stated, has insisted upon appropriating
500, 600 annually for officers acknowledged
to be unnecessary.
Another member stated that lawyer who
bad obtained Judgment in tho Court Of
Claims, which is payable at the Treasury
upon presentation Of the record, had reduced
to writing the number Of persons to whom
he had to apply before he could get the
money. The list reads az follows:
l. Went to chief clerk Of Pirst Auditor, he
stated the account and conpnted the interest.
COPIED nd e. e.. aceoon ns'
s. Ne1t 10 anoiner ele,k IL Fhst ComptrollerI
Once. who feg1stered in his book the number and
| I. Wear to &C chief c:erk OF Frat Comptroller, WHO
verified tbs account sno tho computation Of In
le1e1t
d Weli hack 10 No $. vno aa1!n verified It.
:. Went to Register CLERK, who copied and regis
5. Went to Deputy Register, who o4ieuedit
8. Went to Tarraat Clerk and Obtained waHant
10 Went to West, chief c:erk, who stgned It
II. Went to Hartley. Asslstaar sec5ota,7, VAC
e Wsst to Laub. First tconpro'lerao of1ce,v vno$
reR1s:ered H.
Il Went to REGISTER Clerk. who copied It.
ID. Went 10 Reg,eier AIllson, Who nsned Il
lG Went to Aa1n, dra1troo57s where dENt VIA
Il. Went 70 Tu,ue, Aaa',t.nt Treasurer, who
IS. Went 70 Register cleit, who recorded the
draft -
g; Went to Register Allison, who signed the
20. Vert 10 Manp, Who took my receipt foz the
DRIFTS, ana hatded them over TO mo
81. Treated Mann TO whlsteJ toddy.
Another member stated that case be-
fore the Quartermasters Department. has to
pass through all the offices Of that branch; !;
then it passes through the Third Auditors
of3ce; then through the Second Comp
tro1ler's, and from that brunch to the Secre.
tarY Of War; thence it goes back to the
Quartermaster's Department and, aftes
passing through i, ia returned TO the Secrc.
tery Of War; thence to the Comptroller,
and sgain to the Auditor. This is before
the claim ia allowed. II money has to be
paid. it has, IN addition. to pass through oil
the same stsgss IN which the Judgment VA
carried mp to Mann, We trust, doe:
not finish ths business with ~hiskey toddy
in every case. All this circumlocutiou i
the result Of having too many distinct
branches Of each bureau, and too many
clerks in each branch.
Notwithstanding these facts, freely con-
fessed, Congress persists, year after year
in maintaining this cumbersome, inefficient
and expensive syxtemof doing business.