The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-02-27
Stop the Leaks.
n. Y. Sun.

The Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives no doubt intend
honestly TO reduce all unnecessary expen-
ditGre, and to go on with the work which
was begun in the Forty fourth Congress
With President 10 earnest for reform, il
would not be difficult to bring down the
actual cost of Carrying on the Government
By twenty-five and perhaps thirty millions
year. The army, the navy and the
whole field of the civil service, invite the
stern hand Of retrenchmens.
While the Fraudulent President may
employ the veto, all these objects cannot
be attained. But it is practicable to put
checks and limits on expenditures where
none now exist, and to Withhold discretion
where it has been scandalously abused
The recent exposures in the postal service
have attracted attention sill over the coun-
try. They have only scratched the sur
face of that department, as will be discoy-
cred whenever z thorough investigation is
made with no interest of concealment be-
hind it.
The transportation of the mails by
steamboat costs annually from three quar-
ters TO a million of dollars. The last APP
prIatiOn was nine hundred thousand. This
service is wholly in the power of the Post
master General. or, practically speaking,
of his Second Assistant, who makes all
contracts and dlspeDses smaDy of them to
favorites at high prices, to be sublet for a
royalty regulated by the value of the Job.
The intermediary does nothing but draw
his share of the profit, and the Treasury
foots the bill. A system which permits
such practices cannot be defended,
The manufacture of postage stamps,
stamped envelopes, newspaper wrappers,
and postal cards has become an immense
h1Ss on ~
different articles for the last fiscal year
was $29, $50, $50 90, according to the eff
ciai report, of which twenty eight aud
half millions we're for general use and
about million for official purposes
y Bureau OF Engraving aud Printing il
kept up at Washington at an expense of
about four hundred thousand dollars a
year, and a special building was recently
erected upon a purchased 6ite for lis *
elusive operations That bureau is sup
posed to have all the facilities for every
form of engraving and printing required in
the public service. 1t certainly costs
enough money TO assure them. But while
this resource exists, and is capable OF ex
tension, The postage stamps, envelopes,
wrappers, and cards are given out by con-
tract to be engraved and printed in dis
tant cities; and, worse than this, there is
nothing IN the department worthy to be
called a check upon these Issues, which
summed up over twelve hundred and
twenty millions last years, The cost of
manfufacture alone is reported as follows: |
Stamped envelopes and news paper wrap
pc s.-.-.--..--.---.-.. --.-.-.---... s499 0G0
Postal cards 10000
Adhesive postage stamps ..............-.-. 92O00
For fiscal year:ending June So 1890. -. s7s2 COZ
There are agents for experimenting the |
Manufacture of aud for distributing these /
stamps, cards, and envelopes at large sala-
rles, all political pets of the department.
some of them are brothers and other near I
relation of the assistants who give out the
contracts and through whose offices the &C
coun, r pass, or who control the appoint
ments. TyneT, Brady, and Hazen direct
the three branches into which the postal
service is distributed. ErriDg Brother
Key IS the mere fzurehead, who signs
official documents, draws his salary with
unfaiIjng regularity. and takes the world
easy. lie is wholly ignorant of much that
occurs 10 his own department, and was
astoaished when he was compelled to ask
the house OF representatives. for two mil
lions deficiency in the star service soon
after sending In the annual report, which
contained no allusion to it. He may not
know, what his assistants certainly do
know. that there is no real check upon the
large outlay for the manufacture of stamps
cards. and envelopes. And if he lad the
knowledge, it would make no difference.
Hore are two plain cases for the action
OF the committee on appropriations, and
they are but ordinary examples of others !!
IN every department, showing how easy it /
would be to retrench expenditures upon q s
large scale, if the proper Intelligence,
application, and courage were addressed to
that object. The charge on the treasury
winch this loose method involves is suffici-
-entiS serious In itself to demand attention.