New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-04

ture of the contingent fund. A detailed
statement of the expenditures under this head
for the fiscal year ending June 80 1873, is con
tanned in snug little pamphlet Of fifteen pages,
submitted to tho House on the 18th Of Febru-
ary and ordered printed on the nth TO tho
thoughtful student of political economy who
considers this subject from an unprejudiced
point of view, as a citizen of a rapidly grow
ing and developing country to which the
doctrines of the old countries of Europe are
not suited. this is document of rare inter
est. II shows degree of energy in the dis
tribution of the appropriation for contingent
expenses, an earnest and sincere disposition
10 make the Department stable. and incl
dcntally equine, patriotic desire to promote
homo industry in the consumption OF
ice, keen appreciation OF the value Oh
matches and soap and towels, lively IN
terest in tho great American institution OF
horse railroads. and willingness to travel to
any post Of danger and back and scatter
mileage" on the way, which cannot fan 10
excite the admiration of the American people.
Almost the first item in the account IL 100
" Yards crashr This was financial crash, OF
course and there was great wisdom shown
in buying it up by the yard IN advance
Then follow in rapid succession items for
"kecping horse" "care horses and wagons"
" shooting horses "oats, bran. and meal
repairing harness." might work at stables"
ebay and straw" Preparing carriages"
"castor oil for stables,n medical attendance
son ton horses.r medicine for ono horse
"horses" purchased, and travelling expenses
purchasing horses" "glovcs and gauntlets.
Stables" new truck repairing wheel
"barrows,r "sorrel horse" bay horse
"gray horse" black horse,' amounting to
$11 ,13l G8. Taken in connection with the
expenditure of $215O for $1,000 horse
railroad tickets, these are items OF which
we may well DO proud. In the department OF
horse the Agricultural Bureau or the Execu-
tive stables could scarcely show better
record. The expenditure of $50 so for gloves
"and gauntlets," doubtless for the Department
coachmen and f0Otmen, indicates q becoming
regard for appearances, and the purchase OF
castor oil and the outlay for medical attend
ance for the horses show that the animals
were tenderly cared for. That the people in
the Department were ready to answer the call
of duty and go anywhere, at any expense, Is
fully established by the charges of mileage.
Mr. Sayille of the Treasury came to New
York, and his mileage was only $40 Az.
Messrs. w. r. Haines and w. H. BarstOw went
to New Orleans and Mobile, and the mileage
for the trip for each was only S4S3 90.
1t is immaterial what they went for; it only
cost the Government 1857 20, and was worth
it no doubt. Mr.. Zines went to Council
Bluffs for $500 80 and Mr.. W. IL. Whitney to
Detroit for S27O. 1t only cost S2J to send Mr.
Pettengll to Harrisburg, and SO to send Mr.
Ticknor to Baltimore. Mr.. Whitney, who Is
quite traveller went to Concord, N. H., for
Sl06 40, and Mr.. Jones to Brooklyn for
$40 60. which undoubtedly includes the ferry
charges. f. Hosmer managed to make SOL so
pay his fare to Boston, while it cost John j.
Knox s93 20. and John p. Bigelow S15l. to
make the same journey. Some fifteen or
twenty more items OF the same sort show a
willingness to travel and a capacity for COM
putting mileage on the part OF the Treasury
employees that have been rarely equaed and
never surpassed.
Notwithstanding these journeys, enough en-
ployes of the Department remained in Wash
ington to consume 970,494 pounds of ice, at an
expense of 1921 80. This is an item that will
give the greatest satisfaction to the temper
ance societies, as it is impossible that people
who drink so much ice-water during the day
should drink anything else at night. For ice
pitchers and chests and repairs 1924 25
were expended. and S113 for adver
tising for proposals for ice. The
irrigation Of the currency possibly
necessitated the irrigation of the Department
The expenditure of 81 ,4SS s. for material for
towels and the payment to Mrs. l.. b. Pratt of
$226 81 for hemming 2,178 Of them, go to show
that the Department is determined to go into
court or Congress with clean hands" The
disbursements to employees in the laundry" for
the year amount to S4.3O6 Al, but this we pre-
sumo does not include tho hanging out" of
soiled linen, which cost one King of England
his-but never mind it is always expensive.
Other items in this account are profoundly
interesting and somewhat suggestive. For the
travellers in thel Department, Railway Guides
were furnished at 80 cents apiece, probably
gilt edged and bound in Turkey morOcco-the
common kind cost IS cents. On the Goth of
November they bought $500 65 worth
Of "sapolio. busters, matches, &c., and
tho same day 81 worth of asafetida, salt,
and vinegar. On the Sd day of December
"lunch to employees" was furnished for S125,
and we presume no citizen of this rapidly
growing and developing country begrudges
that amount expended in feeding the hardy
sons of toll who use $4,000 horse-car tickets
and 97O494 pounds of ice per annum. Two
dollars were paid for bellows" in December,
possibly for purposes Of imitation. In the mat
ter of repairs the Department seems to have
exercised the largest economy. On the 3Oth
of December harness was repaired for the