The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-06
WASHINGTON WASTE.


WASHINGTON WASTE.
4 SUGGESTIVE BxHIRTT OF ExTRAvAGANCF-
a PRoDIGIoUS NUMBER OF SMALL ARTICLES
PAID FOR.
A Washington correspondent OF the Tri-
bunes writes: While some OF the Senators
and Representatives who are spending the
recess of Congress in Washington are NOUS
ing about in the departments and suggesting
reductions in the annual estimates. or in
quiring into the expenditure of the eontin-
gent funds. some of those at the other end of
the avenue are reciprocating by overhauling
the contingent accounts of the Legislative
branch of the government to see if a little of
the economy which members preach to the
departments can not be exercised at the
capitol. Beginning with the Senate. thew
fiud that the estimates for the contingent ex-
penses of that body, exclusive of expendi-
lures Tor fuel, clerks and capitol
police, amount to S7l,IiO. OF this, the
estimate for stationery for commit
tees and officers of the Senate is IS 1000: that
for horses and carryalls, $4,000; folding docu-
ments and materials, 5000; labor, $4,000;
furniture and repairs. $4,000. and for mis-
cellaneous items, exclusive of labor $40. 500.
OF this $4,000 there was nominallv spent
during the last fiscal year, when the Senate
was in actual session less than four months.
for stationery and newspapers furnished to
Senators personally, s9.047 Il, or 1922 q for
each Senator. 1t would naturally be SUE
posed that such sum as this would paw for
all the stationery and newspapers that each
Senator desired, and this supp0sition Is
strengthened by the fact that almost every
one cOmmuted part of his stationery al
lowsnce and received on this account cash
varying in amount from few Genus TO SlJO.
But an examination of the stationery ac
count OF the committees show that a great
many articles were furnished to the com
mittees for which Senators in their official
capacity as members of those committees
could have no use, and that of other articles
the amount far exceeded what could leoiti-
mately be used in Jranaacting common bust
ness. He are some of the most striking
items in the two accounts:
Number of en- velopes furnished TO Sena-
tors on account of personal stationery. $500
Number furnished committeeS...........-.... .E9O
TotaI........... ................. h5IO0
or 6,OI4 for each Senator. If the Govern
ment paid for an equal number or enveIopef
for each member of the House, the aggregate
number was so great as to make il unneces-
sary for the Republican Campaign Commit
tee TO have purchased any envelopes for the
documents they sent ont of Washington in
the fall of 1872. This single item NAV helm
to explain the surplus fund which the Ma
tional Republican Committee found in its
hands after the election-the Government
folding and postage of the Presidential cam
paign documents. The envelopes must have
been used in this way they were stolen.
for not one-half of AS, 100 were used for the
public and private business of sevemty-four
Senators. OF writing paper there was fur
nished to Senators for their personal
ne 2g6 reams. and to committees 44Ol$
rearns, making in all 49, reams,
or 14,T30 quires. This would give to
each Senator about DO quires of writing
paper. There were charged to the Senate
committees 30 pocket knives and I56 pairs
Of shears and scissors, or two pocket knives
and one pair of scissors to each Senator and
committee clerk, besides sixty -four knives
and fifty-three pairs OF scissors for distribu-
ton among the officers of the Senate. The
number of metallic pens furnished the SEN
ate committees was 80 $50, or 32S metallic
pens for each Senator and committee clerk.
Besides these the committees had 30 boxes
OF quill pens, and a number of gold and ruiz
Der pens, a few thousands of lead pencils,
and and gold toOthpicks. Among other arr
ticles furnished the Senate committees were
the following: Thirteen visiting card plates
engraved, l57 packs printed visiting cards,
AZ packs plain visiting cards, l26 pocket
books and 2I9 ink stands.
Committees have no use for visiting cards,
or plates engraved to print them from. and
the honest way for Senators would be to
paw for those they have out of their personal
stationery dlOHautt- Two nuuufeu anu
nineteen inkstands would furnish every
Senator and committee clerk with two and
leave enough to supply the Officers of the
Senate. When all are supplied ance with
inkstands it is hard to see why an equal
number has to be bought during the sue
ceeding year. And vet the Government
pays every year for them 200 TO 300 inkstands
for the use Of the Senate committees. What
becomes Of them all? 1t is becoming the
settled conviction of all those who honestly
desire to reduce the expenses Of the ''Gov-
that while thee big "iobs" and
steals must he watched and promptly de-
feateS, the little leaks, both at the capitol
and in the departments, must also be stop
ped.