, 1874-02-16
The Senate to Decide Soon upon a
Financial Policy,
Features OF Shcrman's and nIcrri-
mons Financial Schemes.
Senator Cameron Getting Ready 10 Clear
the Financial Skies.
Curious Facts Concerning Con-
tracts for Postal Service.
A. CHANCE FOR REFORM.

A CHANCE FOR REFcRm. Y
Spttfnl Dispatch to tho Chicago Tribune.
WARRINGTON, D. G., Feb. 15.-In All editorial
article. tile Capital for to-day maltos somo
startling disclosures Of official malpractice lii
tho Departments bere, which, if properly invas-
tigatcd by tho Appropriation Committee, will
without doubt show where retrenchmont can DO
had to some purpose. The Treasury Depart
ment Ia first taken In land, aud an astonishing
misuse Of the public money is brought to light.
There have grown up, 1t seoms, in this Depart
meut without any authority Of Law, a number
Of bureaus, which arc styled "Duroans of tho
sccrotary's Office" having caoh a Chet Of tho
bureau, Chief OIork, olorlss copyiata, mcssen-
gors, and laborors. Tho Chiofs Of tho Bureaus
receive 50, 600 antl tho Chief Clerks Ut the Du-
reaus $2,400 year. This is without authority
OF Inv, aud no appropriations are ma:lo to pay
their high salaries. Tho appointment Bureau
iB ono Of these
FANCY INSTITUTIONS.
Tho work OF tho ot1lcials iB to make out and srt
pcryise tho appointments OF clor1:s III Tho Troas,-
ty. For this nri1uos service Chief Of Bureau is
paid %, 900 and Chief Ciorkis rn -, 900, while
a q ,2o9 clork, working fifteen % minutes a. day,
an annuul appropriation Of $1,000 por an-
mum to pay the salary Of an Appoint
ncnt Clerk in tho Treasury Department,
while the economical Secretary cxpendB ST, ,4U0 for
the asme purpose: Tho salary Of e. 400 paid to
the Chief Clerk Of tho Duroau Is $500 moro than
those Of the Chief Clerks of tho regular Audi
tors ot!icea Of tho Department.
ANOTHER
OF theBo useless Duroaus is 1hat Of the Record,
mud Files similarly ofiiccrcd. The work done BY
the Dnroau Is simply to taae care Of tho rocorda
and files, and furnish them when wanted for
reference. Ono good 81 ,200~clerk could easily
perform all tho dutlea,.,
STILL ANOTHER
bureau is called tho Mail Department. This
the grcat task requires. it appears tho services
clorks at s1,5oo year, five clorks at
81, 400 year, three at 81 900, q messenger md
two assistants. The public will bo proud to
rotary Of tho Treasury with his letters promptly
a1l in good style.
Thou there aro what aro termed Customs aud
Internal Revenue Bureaus with like expensive
corps Of officials. These gentlemen writo tho
ternal Kovonuo, it ID presumed, aud do such
like
PETTY nUs1NEss.
All the work, OF least nearly oil Of 1t, could be
done By the Customs md 1nternnl Revenue De-
partn.ents without any trouble or additional OK
pense.
There ia also Stationery Bureau, costing
81, 400 in salaries, to disburse the funds and Bnp
ply the Treasury oiticlals with stationery. Ono
abio-bodel. 3800-mesaenger could easily do the
work.
In ali thoro are about ten Of these bureaus,
oficored by what may bo properly formed tho
Secrotary's personal ataft. They are tho
SOFT, FAT PLACES
in tho Department.. They sprung up under Mr..
Boutwol1a administration, and tho extra money
indefinite appropriation Of per cent on all tho
iEsues and reissues OF money or securities made
by tho Government under the head Of "for
placing tho loan," and tho special appropri-
tho Inst eight or ton years, for the
especial use OF tho Secretary, and intended to
pay larger salaries TO some Of tho most valuable
Of tho employees Of the Department, who could
not be rotninod without increase Of Hnlary. Tho
Sccretarya prerogatiyos In those matters hive
been nssl,rod. it is claimed, by a ring composed
Of the officials who hold their fat placeB, nnd they
Do much as they please without Let or hndranco.
It is charged that
CERTAIN FAvon1TEs
lnve been raid Us high as :325 day; that it is
o common thing for tho Department. to furnish
private carriages for tho families OF officials,
and messengers to act as co0cllmen and foot
men to pay for furniture for tho private apart
mont Of officials, and pay Their. mileage and
r sens Tlo % esases nta fs OK o tho
contingent fund goes to Congress i'll bulk. It would
be good thing to have detailed statements urd
vouchers submitted, to show exactly
WHERE THE MONEY GOES TO.
The sum Of 1000 vas charged to the penaion
Office last year for mileage, but the showing is
now made TINT one-fourth the amount was used
by officials in going to and from tho State Of
Minnesota alone,
The article also charges that DR.. Flood, the
medical referoo Of the Duroau, is also tho family
physician Of Secretary Delano mud Commissioner
Baker, and that while Bakers wife lay sick i,l
Minnesota, Hood went there at tho expense Of
tile contingent fund, to intend her profes-
slonnlly In 'a smllar manner nan T. is chn,god
tho Secrotary's son, in his recent illnoss At
tention is also called to
Al ITEM
for over &11, 1000, used by the Interior Depart-
mont for what were formed "olco supplies.
Az all the stationery furnituro wash- towels, md
sonp, aad such things, arc provided for by sopar-
ato items in the estimate, it Is q query whether
the official lunches do really cost that mucl,
money, and, II 30, whether tho Government il
hound to pay for them. Thoro is certainly horo
r1ELD FoH EXAMINATION.
As was pointed out IN your dispatches some time
Bince, IL il III tho expenditure Of tho contingent
funds that economical and rotrenching Con-
gross'nen can find scope for their Investigations
and rendered Of these expenditures, just 10 long
will there 10 temptation to miaapply these funds,
NATIONAL FINANCES,
Special Dtapach to The Chicago Tribune.
INITIATION on RESUMPTION.
WAs11NoMos, D. G., Fob. 15.-The question
whether 1t shall 10 resumption or expansion IL
likoly to bo sottlcd as far Oh tho sonato is con-
cernet, this week. 4 vote will bo Ind oil sone
ono Of tho several propositions now hoforo thal
budy within day or Two. Immediately undo,
consideration aro
TEN AsTAooN1sTto FINANCIAL pLASs,
tho FIRST Of A1r. Sherman, providing for tle
withdrawal Of 825,oo0o o00of calculation from tlle
New Englald National Danka, and tho redtBtrl-