The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-10-24
THE DEFICIENCY ESTIMATES.
FIGURES TuAT JUSTLY PROVOKE THE sE'
NEREsT CRITICISM.
y Il

NEREsT CRITICISM.
New York sun
WAsHINGroN, Oct. lG The deficiency
estimates just submitted to the house Of
representatives meet with severe critic
| ism. The army estimates are snbsiant-
| Iany .h,.,t7 vi last -, rHt, WIN large tSll-
mate of 81 100000 for a deficiency during
| the last fiscal year, Their treatment viii
| depend upon the number OF soldiers the
| house decides to keep under arms. A
very different criticism applies to the
navy deficiency, which reaches the total
of $l,300,000. OF this million and a
halt is tor pay of the navy, and $500 900
is for advances made by S"ligman Bro.
TIERS, the naval financial agents abro ID,
upon the same account, 1t Is presumed,
and hundred and fifty thousand
of miscellaneous claims upon the
same account. In all, this
makes sum total Of $I,9j0,000
deficiency in the pay OF the navy ac>
count. An examination OF the appro-
priation made to thisaccount for the last
year by the Forty >fourth Congress shows
that II amounted to seven and quarter
| millions, or Il million more than either
the Forty-second or Forty.third Cons
gress appropriated to the pay OF the
navy in any one year, while the total ap-
preparations TOR TWO years by the last
Congress are more than q million In one
case, and million and quarter in an
other case, over the appropriations to the
same account by the two previous Con.
h..
OF the Navy finds his pay account short,
il is short not because the Forty.fourth
Congress failed to appropriate enough,
but because some one has stolen the
money, and this tact ought to be thor.
oughly and completely investigated be.
tore dollar Is appropriated to meet such
deficiency.
An estimate is also put In of $40, 900
for n deficiency in the pay OF the marine
| corps. An examination here shows that
the last congress appropriated for the last
| year all the corps needed, and commit
tee can obtain expert testimony to show
that when money at the end of the last
quarter ought to have stood to the credit
of marine pay none was to be had, These
are facts which should be thoroughly sif.
ted. Both of these accounts. and every
other like account from which payments
were made 10 officers, sailors, and ma
rines, and not to contractors, was drawn
on by Robcson to meet his reckless eX.
penditurca IN behalf OF contractors drafts,
illegal in method and purpose.
Another item which Is attracting al.
tention and comment Is as follows "For
a IN al, -
mission appointed by the president TO 90
to Louisiana, $4,000, or so much thereof
as may be necessary" The commission
consisted OF five persons. One OF these,
Charles b, Lawrence, is lawyer OF large
practice. Scarcely as much can be said
for the other lawyer OF the commission
Harlan. John c. Brown Is Il
man whose connection with political
conferences and political commissions is
highly scrviccable to the railroad inter.
ests he promotes. Neither Ilawley nor
MacVeagh are men whose services have
been rated at high figures. The ins,ruc.
tions OF the commission were dated and
received at Washington on April 3.
They reported their work completed on
April 81, at New Orleans. They were
employed, accordingly, eighteen days.
Their secretary was detailed from the
treasury department, and acted as dis.
burslng officer; their stenographer, Wal.
ter Reagan. was employed either ID tho
custom house or the United States court
In New Orleans, yet the cost Of this com.
mission Will In service was 1898 n day,
an average of $G5 a member. No more
costly exhibition Of the appliances Of ad.
reform has been given since
the Curtis civil service board drew Its
pay.
Another Item In this report Is one OF
3. $50 tor expert reports given by Chas.
randolph. secretary Of the Board of
Ira'e. Chicago; George Y. Porter, secro.
ary OF the Baltimore Board OF Trade, aud |
TWO other gentlemen who contributed