New-York tribune., 1873-12-24
WASHINGTON.
HE ppnIrCTION OF EXPENSES.

THE REDUCTION OF EXPENSES.
MANY WAYS IN WHICH MONEY MAY BE sAVEp-ihh
EXPENSES OF TIE EXECUTIVE OFFICE DOUBLED
DURING THE PRESENT ADMINIsrRATloN-Ihh
EXPENSES OF THE CONSULAR AND DIPLOMATIC
SERVICE TO BIZ REDUCED LARGELY-THE DE-
PARTMENT CLRRKs NOT ovERBURDENED WITH
WORK.
iBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. ADMINISTRATIONS into the ex-
pendiares of the Executive departments, continued
from day to day. disclose many ways in which
money may be easily saved Beginning with the
Executive proper it has been discovered that not
only the salary of the President, but all the ex-
penses of the Executive Office, have been doubled
during the present Administration. In 1865 the
appropriations made in the regular Legislative,
Executive and Judicial bill for the Executive Office
during the year 1S67-the last of Johnsons Admins
tration-were az follows: Compensation of the
President, $4,000; salaries Of private secretary,
assistant secretary. clerks steward, and messenger,
5000; contingent expenses, $4,000; total S95'lOO.
This year the estimates for the same are Compen-
sation of the President $4,000; salaries of private
secretaries clerks, steward, and messenger Sl5,3OO;
contingent expenses, $4,000; total S7t,SOO
The duties of the President are to-day no greater
than they were in 1861 and the amount of business
to be transacted in his Office requiring the services
of secretaries clerks, &C., has not increased BE-
Sides the decline in the prices of almost every ar
tce that enters into the contingent expenses of the
executive office makes it necessary to make
smaller appropriation now than then. 1t must not
be supposed that the figures given above cover all
or even large share of the expenses of the execu-
tive Office They are simply corresponding items for
the two years. Mr.. Dawes few days ago. in
speech placed the perquistes and allowances OF the
President at $4,000 year, aud he did not include
in this estimate probably, the necessary expenses OF
the office such as have been referred TO above.
Mr. Orth of the House Foreign Committee is
spending the recess of Congress in Washington, ex-
aminmg the expenditures in the consular and dIplo-
matte service. He is assisted in this work by the
State Department, and though it is far from COM
pete, the investigation thus far made shows that
much more than 100000 year can be saved. MI
William Williams, Chairman Of the Committee on
Expenditures in the War Department., gives it as
his opinion, that S160O0O year can be saved there
by more economical organization of the work.
Thus it will be seen that despite the assertion
that it is impossible to cut down expenses in Wash
Ington, il can be done, and prominent and influen-
tal members of Congress say that it will have to be
done. One representative remarked to-day that II
the members of the Cabinet supposed that they
districts where the constituents of members were
directly interested, and reduce appropriations for
public buildings ETC., without making
considerable reduction of the force
in the departments here, they were
much mistaken. LET the heads Of departments"
he said get little more work out Of their subor-
dinates They are now in their offices but six hours
day and half an hour is deducted from that for
lunch. They each have 30 days leave of absence,
with pay, in the Summer; 10 days more at every
State election at least day aud half for each
holiday, and several days for some. Take the pres
ent holiday week, for instance. Clerks do not
work on Christmas OF New-Years, and only
three hours q day during the remainder
of the week. L have counted mp the number
of holidays with pay which the clerks of one OF the
departments had last year. 1t was 81, or more than
one for each week in the year. In other words they
we're on duty but 1886 hours in the year, or 1854
days of 10 hours each less than half the time given
to their employers by other clerks no less competent
and no better paid II there must be economy, let
the clerks in the departments be made to work an
hour later each day. and then, if they gave their
whole attention to their work when they were IN
the Office. the number who could be discharged
would be very great"
THE WAR DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES.
GENERAL PRESS DISPATCH.
Cen Belknap Secretary OF War; is disposed to cut the
estimates OF the War Department down to the lowest
possble limit Those for the military service proper,
which were submitted to him, received his personal
attention. and we're calculated as closely as posslbe
but he proposes readust them and reduce them as
far as the actual requirements Of the service will per
mil, The estimates of appropriations for Notifications.
armament and for rivers and harbors amount
ing in the aggregate about $50 100000, ana which were
simply subuitted by him to Congress without recon-
mendaton but merely for their action, can be very
materially reduced SO far those items are concerned
Congress can decide the locations where sppropr
atons are needed. 1t appears that almost all the De-
partmepts of the Government are burdened with add
topal clerical by the operation Of hoact requiring
accounts To be rendered under each head Of
anpropraton and for each fiscal year. well asby the
numerous calls from Congress for reports. reform In
tbs matter would enable reduction Of the clerical