The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-13
LIE NATIONAL JtNK sHop.

UPHOLSTERED wHEELBARROWs. CARPETS AND
TOWELS - THE WAYS or THE INDIAN
BUREAU AND TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
Some Washington advices To the New
York papers are worth reading. A dispatch
TO the Tribune says: The more rapidly the
Indians disappear, the more expensive to
the government their care seems to be. The
extravaganza of the Indian Bureau during
the last fiscal year surpasses ANYTHING in its
former history. The regular appropriations
made on the estimates for the wear ending
JuGe 80, 1873, amounted to 81, $50 .362 81. on
the last day of the last session of Congress.
the President approved the annual de-
1ency bill, which contained items for the
Indian Bureau amounting TO 81 211542
and now j. is discovered that even with
this large additional sum the commissioner
was unable to get through the year without
contracting debt OF "a halt million more
This makes grand total of SS,6l3. JO4 81. the
cost of the Indian service for the last wear
The estimates of deficiencies in this bureau
for the current year have not yet been made
up, but the amount will not be less than n
million. Thus it will be seen that Congress
viii be called upon during the present ses-
sion to appropriate two millions for deficien-
cies in the Indian service, besides increasing
the amount in he regular bill for this pur-
pose according to the estimates =, 273 $50 Il.
This is one of the big treasury leaks.
The correspondent of the New York Times
writes: Some of the most curious facts have
been developed by the inquiry. IL seems
that various articles which in common house
hold use last for years, can not stand the
wear and tear of public service more than
one season. Take for instance water cool
ers. In 1871 the Treasury Department was
furnished with Sj27 % worth of water
coolers, and in 1877 there was expended
for the same articles SGl6 81, Tha
wear and tear on towels must be
something fearful. The report OF the
Superintendent of the Treasury building
shows that for hemming towels there was
paid in 1872, $3.50, while the material for
towels cost 81 40. Carpet, mating. etc.
for the Treasury cost annually a small TOR
tune. In 1871 Sll Sal 06 were paid for new
carpets, and in 1872 still greater sum vas
paid out for the same thing. The richest
item, however, to be found in the Superin-
tendent's report for 1872 is the following:
March. 1872.
McDermolt & Bros repairs to wheelb arrow 50 -
That certainly must have been an uphol-
stored wheelbarrow
The Springfield Republicans account is:
The officials at the treasury are very active
trying to explain their contingent expenses,
but meet with little success except with one
or two correspOndeDtsssh can always be de-
pended on whenever the administration gets
into strait place. But these officials are
obliged to admit that the department has one
double team that might be dispensed with.
This is the case with nearly all the rest, in
Guiding the agricultural department. These
superiiuous double teams must have cost
with the horses. harnesses and drivers about
5000 each. The senate and house spent
about $4,000 annually for teams and drivers,
and the records OF the senate contingent ex-
penses show that senators receive personally
300 reams OF paper, 34S900 envelopes, besides
nearly q 600 sent to committees and every
other conceivable thing classed, in political
parlance, under the head of stationery ap-
preparations.