The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-05
Ghe 9ailg Arens.
independent IN Ecerythfno.
The Waste Goes Bravely On


The House of Representatives. on mo-
ton OF Mr. Donnan OF Iowa, Chairman of
the Committee on Printing, ordered $40
600 copies of the reports of the Commits
sioner of Agriculture, half for 1879 and
half for 1873, to be printed. That nuhli.
cation, when prepared for mailing. will
cost at least 100000, and probably mnch
more
This report is one of the chief humlssps
of Congress. 1t is only bad compilation
of matter stolen from the agricnltural
newspapers and rehashed in the worst
style. Not a blade of grass nor an ear Of
corn has ever been improved bv II In
every sense it is an electioneerina d,cu-
ment, used to mislead the agricalforaI in
| terest at their own expense.
Last year the report was not printed 81
all by order Of Congress, but it apocars
from. the subjoined statement Of Mr. S.ntt
III the Senate that the Commissioner as
sumed to issue it without authority Of law F..
There was 40 appropriation made to nlblisH tbe
report Of 1872. ana believe there were no comics
published except about one thousand, which the
Commissioner had published at his own expense.
or at the expense of the department, if he has a
contingent fund
This is the way in which expenditures
are swollen, Congress is circumvented, and
| the public money is squandered Congress.
which alone has the power, would not ap-
propriate money to publish the report Of
1872, and yet in the face of that refusal
the Commissioner assumed t0misapply the
fund set aside for all the alleged necessi-
ties Of his bureau, to put his worthless
document in print. For that act he de-
serves dismissal or impeachment, Just as
much as if he had put this money in his
pocket. How dare he touch the appropfi-
ations OF this office, except in obedience to
| the law
And now, when more than a year has
passed away, and when even any pretend
ed utility of this report has ceased to exist,
| it is cooly proposed to issue 255, ZOO copies
| OF the dead matter, at an expense of little
less than half a million of dollars.
And this, too, on the motion of a selfstyl-
ed reformer from the West.
| 1t all the copies were distributed in good
faith, instead of being sold by the cart
load to the junk shops in Washington at
four cents pound, only one farmer in
thirty could be supplied. So that, in fact,
twenty nine are taxed to crafty one with
useless volume This is true also of the
wheat, oats, and other seeds which are
sent out to catch votes, and not to aid ag-
rlculture. They cost ABOUT SIS or $40 a
bushel. All this waste under the disguise
OF helping the farmers is for the benefit of
a few faVorites who get fat places, fill til, r
pockets. and laugh at the credulity of tie
sons OF toll, who have to pay in crushing
taxes for wilful prodigality.
At the last session $4,000 in round
numbers was voted for the salaries and ex-
penses of this bureau. The Commissioner
and his family occupy the building erected
| for public uses. Horses and carriage are
| furnished for them at the public expense,
and an experimental garden costing $40
900 year provides their table with the
first and best Of all the delicacies.
Is 1t any wonder that the country groans
under its burdens and that the Treasury is
| bankrupt when these outrages are legal
lied year by year? The Changers are de-
manding, and with good reason, too, that
monopolies should be restricted the price
Of transportation reduced, and taxation
cut down. But here is an expensive fraud
run professedly in their interest, which is
a barefaced deception.
The pretence used to carry on this plum
der is Of course false, just like the argu-
ment used to erectuseless public buildings,
To say that agriculture gains anything by
the bureau or its execrabe reports would
be to insult every intelligent farmer. The
cost OF this concern every year is equal to
the interest on twenty millions Of the pub
lie debt.