, 1880-12-19
CUB10S1T1E8 In GOVERNMENT EXPEND-
ITVRE8,

NeNAA< A<os ~ 40A0AACo HN Uut!tt4 VI auO1E %tuU,
0o'ooo to lubricate the machinery of til
United States Government and keep it ii
running order. Nearly oue~half of this an
nual expenditure was imposed upon the peo-
pie by our erring brethren of the South
among the other 500, GOO there are solns
curious Items, which, in the aggregate
would set up good many smaller Govern.
ments in business and provide for them very
comfortably during an average GOVERN
| mental existence.
The White House Is 10 rather EXPENSIVE in
stttunon, aside from the Presidents salary
OF $4,000. The staff of employees in and
about the Executive Office requires $50 600 q
year, nnd the stationery and miscellaneous
appointments some 5000 more. This is ex-
elusive Of $1,000 a year for care and repairs
OF the mansion, to sl5,oc0 for lighting the
house and grounds, $4,000 for fuel, $500 for
the greenhouses, and 4 single item OF $50
W0 for refurnishing. The care of the public
grounds In Washington outside the White
House costs SIS, 000a year. Tho Botanical Gar
den is Congressional institution, and conse-
Quently an additional expense amounting to
about $l6,500 annually. Its chef province
Is to furnish bouquets and baskets OF flowers
on the order Of Senators and Representatives
to ladies who, moved by the eternal fitness
OF things, usually send them to decorate the
desks Of other Senators or Representatives.
The legislative branch Of the Government
Is maintained at a cost of over So, 000, 600.
Its regular travelling expenses amount to
Sl3300o, outside OF the cost OF junkcting
committees. The spiritual needs of Con-
gress are about the cheapest items in its spe-
clal budger- Two Chaplains at $500 each
supply all the religious devotion which !
seems to be necessary to Congressional saliva
tion Stationery, so called, is apparently
regarded as more practical necessity, for
the Senators are expected to use up every |
year S14, 500 and the Representatives S43750 |
worth of the various articles that come |
under this head; fortunately there Is
prudent provision for allowing them to draw
tlelr allowance in money, so they need not
suffer from an ealbftrrds dc ric1le88e in writ
ng material. The Senate supports a luxu-
'lous barber-shop and elaborate bathing
:ooms, but whether the BARRIERS figure as
Messengers or lages on the payroll does
lot appear. Packing-boxes seem to be q
lecessity to Congressional efficiency, as the
'enate is allowed 576o and the House $4,000
year for these conveniences.
There is an occasional disproportion in the
lstribution OF farors at the National Capital.
or Instance, the State Department, which is
robably less frequented than any other
ranch Of the Government, has an allowance
]r an elevator conductor, as has the Senate, | ,
lille the popular branch Of Congress has {
one, and the Treasury Department. with its s
600 employees, only two. Can it be that the ,
enate and State Department are regarded rs ;:
'ecial resorts for the aged and intirnl, and t
lerefore indulged in special conyeniences {
i superannuated people?
The grades Of office are maintained to the a
rictest degrees of accuracy, as is evident v
ON the fact that there are Il assistant mes o
ngers " as well as messengers. It is some a
hat curious that messenger should be us h
'ted In any case, but this is not nearly so VI
Markable as it is that assistant messen- | v
rs" are provided IN certain parts Of the Il
rvice where there are no messengers. In ii
At case, whom do the assistant messen- O.
rs assist? This, like good many other u
nditions Of the public service. is Zone of N
things that no fellow can find out as in
ri Du'adrcarv pathetically puts the case. u
some Of the contingent expenses Of the De- ii
rtments are equally difficult to compre-
nd. 1t Is possible to understand that it it
'uld require $1,000 for lighting the Treas III
I Building, $50, 600 for desks, chairs, and W
er furniture, and even SIX, 600 for washing pr
hemming towels and a lot Of other serv- til
connected with comfortable official til
stence; but 1t would be pleasant to have tn
le explanation of an item Of $500 for ch
:e, buckets, tile-holders, book-tests, clocks I'M
repairs thereof, labor, and care Of tn
unds-" Information as to what proper to
of this sum is expended on ice and what mi
portion on labor and the other utterly ir- an
want articles might greatly aid in recon- tht
IL people to the expenditure of the S. sta
ZOO which is needed to run the Treasury. gr;
J Post-Ofi1ce estimates may illuminate irr
dark mystery to some extent. There is is
neral demand for 5000 for miscellane- the
contingent expenses after providing In ha'
Ill for almost everything, and then bul
. is supplementary demand for I