The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-02-03
DEPARTMENT ROBBERY.

A GLANCE AT THE BURSON PLUNDERING-
FACTS AND FIGURES.
The Herald's Washington dispatch says:
The retrenchment measures of the house
committee on appropriations are being
pressed so vigorously that the various
branches of the executive departments of
the governmentare beginning to show signs
of alarm. AS an Offset to these operations a
flank movement is contemplated by again
bringing forward the resolution of General
Coburn, chairman of the house committee
on military affairs, introduced in the early
days of the session, which contemplated the
restriction of the committee on appropria.
tons to the general consideration of the az
preparations, and the assignment of all de-
tails to the different committees entrusted
with matters of legislation directly connect
ed with the business of certain de-
partments. The military committee favor
this and will make the first move
looking to an evasion of the prerOgatives OF
the appropriation committee, by attempting
to have the estimates for the army referred
to them. The military and appropriation
committee are at variance on the question of
army reduction, and the carrying of this
point will make very material change il
the manner of disposng of appropriation
bills. The committees on POSSIBILITIES and
post roads and foreign, naval and Indian
affairs have direct reference 10 those
branches of the government. An alliance OF
these in the house, in the campaign contein
plated by the military committee, will give
that on appropriations lively fight, if they
do not gain their point. The house commi =
tee on appropriations to-day made another
inroad upon the army. A prominent MEM
/ or of the committee remarked that the ri.
nance department has for a long time "a
tracted attention as being an extreme Y
close corporation; that the con =
hoxvo oil lanora oil al
bowed out whenever they have made any
attempts to investigate the internal admin
istration of that branch of the service. AT
the meeting to-day the committee deter
mined to make reduction of 5000 in the
allowance Tor the pay of the civil and mill
tary members of the corps. The quarter
master generals office at the same time was
reduced 5000 in the same way. In the in-
vestigation of the clerical force of the
treasury department the committee
has discovered that notwithstanding
the reduction of internal revenue
and assistants and supernumery offices un.
der them, and the consolidation of collection
districts in all parts of the United States,
thereby materially reducing the expendi-
lures for officers and clerks necessary to the
transaction of the business outside Of the
bureau Of internal revenue, the force inside
Is as large as it was when the revenues from
this source were 500, 000, 600 greater than
now. On the rolls Ofthe bureau IN addition TO
the commissioner and three deputies. there
are clerks in the appointments division; 81
clerks, 10 copyists, messenger and labor
ers in the law division; 8 clerks, 80 copyists.
messenger and 8 laborers in the division of
correspondence and statistics; % clerks,
copyists, / messenger and laborers in
the division of accounts; 81 clerks, 10 copy
lists. messenger and laborers in the di-
vision of distilled spirits. assessments, etc.
% clerks, Is copyists 2 messengers and
laborers in the stamp division. This
makes total of 27s employees of all kinds
an annual expenditure of nearly $500 900 for
salaries. The committee have also discov-
cred that the large majority of the clerks re-
ceive the highest salaries allowed, and the
copyists and laborers the same in their
grades. The pay here is higher than in any
other branch of the department. AS the
service has not suffered from the reductions
made within the past yeaI in the employees
of the various collection districts, IL Is be-
lieved that the same rule will work in the
internal organization OF the bureau. There
Is some talk OF a reduction of as high as
forty per cent. This would make
saving of nearly two hundred thousand
dollars in salaries alone. The committee
are much struck with the large number of
clerks in the law division, and are decidedly
puzzled to know what part of the legal bus
mess is performed by the six iaborers. Sew
erl propositions have already been present,
ed having in view reorganization OF this
bureau, but from some cause or other have
hitherto always failed. This time the ak of
reform seems certain OF its work.