New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-07
WASHINGTON.

TRAVELLING AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE.
eKCRKTARY BRIsTOw's DETERMINATION-A COSTLY
EXCURSION FOUR YEARS AGO.
nloN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNEJ
WASHINGTON June 6.-While Secretary Bristow
a accomplishing so many reforms in his department.,
there is reason to believe that he will put stop to
the E~sice that was prevalent under former admin
istrations of contriving special missions moi De
cause the public service demanded that they should
be undertaken but because favored officials desired
70 make pleasure trips at the expense of the Govern
ment OF course there many occasions when
the personal attention of experienced officer OF
the Treasury Department is required for the trans
action of important business in distant parts OF the
United States in Europe, but it is also true that
very expensive journeys have been made when the
business could Just as well have been transacted by
mail.
One of the most striking examples OF these jour
news undertaken almost solely for pleasure occurred
in the Summer of 1872 In March of that year Con-
sress inserted in the Deficiency Appropriation bill
section directing the accounting officers of the
Treasury TO settle all accounts for the services o.
workmen, laborers and mechanics, employed by the
Government between the 25th of June, 1868, the
date of tho Eight-hour law, and the 10th of May,
1869 the date of the Presidents proclamation,
which virtually put the law into operation, by pay
ing them their full wages for eight hours work,
where il appeared that reduction of pay had been
made solely on account of the legal reduction OF the
hours of labor Now there certain cases on the
Pacific coast where reduction OF 20 per cent was
made in the wages of men employed by the Govern
ment, after June %, 1868, in consequence
of the reduction of the hours OF labor,
and all of the facts necessary to enable the
accounting officers of the Treasury to adjust these
accounts might have been sent to Washington by
mail But this was, apparently too good an oppor-
tunity for somebody to make pleasure trp TO the
Pacific coast to be lost and it is reported on very
Trustworthy authority, Third Auditor Rutherford,
and L. A. Paul, a fourth-cass clerk in his Office, L.
s. Thomas, clerk in the Second Controllers office,
and q clerk in the Navy Department were detailed
TO go TO San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon, to
ascertain the amount due TO Government laborers at
these points under the act and proclamation cited.
The party absent from Washington 62 days,
and each person paid in addition to his regular
salary s. day. and 10 cents mile for the distance
travelled They went ont by the way of the Isthuus
of Panama and were 80 days in reaching San Fran
CISCO The expedition cost the Government as fol-
lows: Expenses of each. 62 days at 50, $50, OF
Sl24O for the party; mileage of each, 1904 miles,
ut 10 cents a mile, $3.50 40 or $3,lGl 90 for the
party total amount paid to EACH 81, 100 49, to the
whole party 81, 4O1 go. This was in addition TO
their regular salary.
The result of the expedition was that tne 1our
men discovered that less than $3.50 due to labor
ers in San Francisco, and that nothing was due at
Portland. One of the party had a small package to
be delivered at the office in Washington and he might
easily have brought it himself, but he forwarded
il express and the charges it amounted to $27
Although the sum of money involved in this instance
was a comparatively small one, the principle IS the
same as though these men had been sent on two
years Journey around the world for the combined
purposes of recreation and to gather the materials
for books of travel and popular lectures One of the
features of Secretary Bristows administration has
been that he has put his foot down on the little
abuses in his department as well as upon the great
ones and it is not believed that the present will be
good season for such trips as has been described
above.