Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-02-24
prejudice, when write as propose to in
relation to this matter.

relation to this matter.
In every department there is an excess
of officers, clerks, messengers, watchmen,
policemen, doorkeepers, and even those in
sight are not all that are being supported
by government, for there are many who
are paid salaries that never appear at the
posts assigned them, except to get their
money. 1t is said that resident of
Washington during the Fortieth Congress
had salary of 81 800 year as one OF the
officers of the House of Representatives,
and that he did not do days work, but
attended to his own business in the
city the whole time, and what
is most lamentable, this very man was
nominated and strongly urged by some
for the office of doorkeeper of the present
Congress. Numerous instances of this
kind might be cited, if necessary. How
many of this class there are, have no
means, within my reach, for determining.
They are paid out of the contingent fund,
and are reckoned as laborers, temporary
clerks, clerks of committees, folders, pri-
yate secretaries, or some other name by
which they are enabled to get hold of the
peoples money. g
| / have before me report of the Clerk
of the House of Representatives, in which
I find the way that some of the contin-
gent fund has been expended. 1t is
curious document, without single date
appended, except to show that it extends
from January 1st to December 31st, 1868.
This clerk, Edward MCPHERSON, has the
right to purchase things for the use of his
office, and pay the contingent expenses"
of the House The Secretary OF the Sem
ate has the same right. aud the head of
every department has IA similar right and
a contingent fund to prey upon. 1 viii
name few of the things find on this
list of purchases and expenditures.
| There are 33 capitol police, the salaries
of which are, for captain, $160 II per
month for lieutenant, $146.67; aud pri-
Yates, $129.57 per month-making over
| $4,000 month paid to these men to keep
order in the capitol In addition to these
| there are eleven watohmen who have
| $S3 33 per month. Mr.. Dawes proposes
| to reduce this number to eight watchmen
at 5000 each per anupm, and have twenty
two police, the captain ut salary of
81 800, one lieutenant at 81 800, and
twenty privates at 81 ,0S0 each. Now one
half the number recommended by Mr..
| Dawes is ample, but terrible wall has
gone up, and Mr.. Dawes is severely CEN
sured, not because any one insists that the
safety of life or the capitol is endangered,
but it is throwing so many men out of
employ to reduce the present number.
Mr.. Dawes proposes to appropriate $780,
! 600 "for folding documents" How
many more that is intended to pro-
vide for L am unable to say. But
in this folding department there is
big rat hole that should be watched.
l have been in several times, and at times
have seen dozen boys at work folding
speeches, &c, and perhaps dozen men
wrapping up books to send off by mail.
What this cost in 1868 could probably
find by running through the clerks re-
port before alluded to, and adding the
amount paid; but the aggregate amounts
are not given in any of these folding or
other departments The salary of
the men who hold this response
BILE (2 position is $11817 per month.
In the month of March there were
105 folders in the folding room and
three in the House post-office, two of the
latter receiving each S14097 per month.
Your correspondent would be glad to take
the job Of folding all the matter folded
for one-third of what it now costs.
| 1t is impossible for me to give the
number of men now employed mo, not
employed but all paid) to help carry on
the business connected with the House of
Representatives. Mr.. Dawes proposes to
greatly reduce the number, and he pro-
vides for 98, including the 20 pages or
boys on the floor of the House, at an ex-
pense of over $4,000. Gladly would l
take the job to furnish all the help re-
quired, and to the satisfaction of every
member, and to the satisfaction of all the
people except the hungry blood suckers
that have sucked so long at the govern
ment tit, and would be cast off. l say [
would gladly take the job at one-half of
the price proposed even by Mr.. Dawes.
would retain some of the men now in
the employ of the government, for they
are as good as can be found anywhere,
but | would cast off all those who have
not the good of the country at heart, and
hire faithful, efficient men. [ would not
retain a man like the doorkeeper of the
10th Congress, Mr.. Lippincott, who had
bill at the end of each month for "use of
one horse and wagon $3.50, use of saddle
horse $62," nor would have d. w. Bates
come with his bill every month "for wind
ing and regulating clocks in the House of
Representatives, $25." I would have men
that could walk, and clocks that could
run without this monthly expense. And
/ would not allow the clerk to purchase
e baking oven for $110 without he would
tell me, when he rendered his bill, what
it was for, nor wonld allow him to pur-
chase and distribute ,421 pocket knives
at at an aggregate expense of $5,053.50,
and 5S1 pocket books and portmonies at
an expense of 81, ,266, unless he gave the
names of the persons to whom these were
given. And I would like to know of him
who the lucky man was that got the
knife that cost $14, the portmonie that
cost $12 and the gold pen that cost S23.5O.
And it would be very natural for me to
ask my clerk what was done with the %
tourist cases that were purchased for the
House, and what favorite members of the
House were the recipients of the 81 cork
: screws.
! would not employ man for Ser
ak L