The Evening critic., 1881-10-24
PITNEY'S METHODS.
A VERY QUEER EXHIBIT.
Purchases Made for the Treasury
Bay Rum. Candles, Lemons. Certain
Lunches ana Sicb-A Very loose
Way of DOing business.

In presenting to the Senate the report of
the Treasury investigating committee,
called for by resolution of October 81, Sec
rotary Window reviews the discovery by
him that certain abuses and Irregularities
existed in the department superintendent by
the custodian, and his abolition of the of.
flee on the ground of its illcgality; and fur
thcr says that his intention to thoroughly
investigate other branches of the Treasury
was intcrfcrcd with by the extra duties
attendant upon the assassination Of the
President. Accompanying the report are
documents appointing Mcssrs. j. f. Melne,
j. Walker and w. Hills as the investigating
committee, n copy of the law on which the
office of custodian was declared Illegal and
the subsequent circular by which Secretary
Window thinks to have prevented the re-
currcnce of similar irrcgularity In the fu-
turc. Also the personal statements of As
sistant Secretary Upton and Chief Clerk
Powers. The report is dated June, Ia, 1881.
Attention is first called to the law pro.
viding for proper advertisement for bids to
furnish all Department supplies, and the
statement Is made that in this case the rule
has only been observed in the purchase of
fuel, ice and carpets, and that the ordinary
business precautions of securing reasonable
prices seem to have been neglected, while in
many cases exorbitant prices have been
paid. In beginning the investigation the
committee undertook to make an inventory
of the Treasury stOro-room and found that
no set Of books had been kept to show the
amount of stock on hand; also that no in
ventory of the stock had ever been made.
out of the appropriations for the fiscal
year 1867 satisfactorily accounted for.
During 1875, 1,3lil yards of Brussels and
323 7-12 yards Wilton carpet were laid in
the offices of the Treasury in excess of the
amount paid for out of the appropriation
for contingent expenses, and this excess was
unaccounted for by acquisitions. Upon the
custodian being informed of this defect, he
furnished properly signed acquisitions for
all except 81 yards, which he claims was
laid in his office. The Wilton carpet and
border he claims were laid in the rooms of
the Assistant Secretary and Chief Clerk,
and no acquisitions given.
In the fiscal year 1880, the investigation
showed that 1881 yards Wilton carpet and
border, and cost of making and laying the
same, was twice paid for This carpet was
1 bought of Messrs. Hooc Bros. & Co., of
Washington, and they have now repaid the
amount of the duplicate payment
Taking all accounts into consideration the
committee say there should have been L.
SIG 10 yards of carpet found in the store
room, whereas there wasa shortage of 159 10
yards which, the storekeeper claims, was in
the hands of w. b. Moses, of this city. The
Investigation also showed that in various
transactions Mr.. Moses had been paid for
6374 yards which already belonged to the
Treasury, and upon being notified of that
fact he sent that amount of carpet to the
Department to make it good. The clerk in
the Office of discussing clerk has been paid
out of the appropriation for fuel, light and
water. The report also says that J. Brad
ley Adams, of this city, was paid $500 for
SO dozen Woodruff filc-holders out of the
appropriation for "icc," but that said file
holders have never been delivered. OF this
matter the custodian refused to make any
explanation to the committee. The same
kind of transaction was discovered with w.
b. Reeds Sons in regard to two bills of S132
charged rs candles, but the CANDLES were
not delivered
The custodian informed the committee
that these bills cover lemons and sugar for
lemonade for Secretary, Assistant Secre-
tarics, and Chief Clerk, and "a certain
lunch" furnished in the Treasury building
last summer about the time of the Chicago
and Chief Clerk Power stated under oath to
the committee that the certain lunch"
had been paid for by private contribution,
and Upton said he had once given Pitney
$40 for lemonade furnished his room.
Other discoveries made include, November
1880, $1iS50 paid for overcoats for drivers
of Treasury wagons paid for as billiard
cloth for desk covering; February, 1884,
one barrel of bay rum at $3.50 per gallon,
L. Il
.of this bay rum was found in stock. Pitney
explained that this cvasivc course was
pursued so that the accounting officers
would not question bills. From July /,
1873, to May, A., 1881, waste paper
was sold TO the amount Of $5,09565,
and no deposit was made for the
same. Pitncy says he paid the cost of sort
ing out of the sales and put the balance in
the safe to await instructions. After this
discovery balance of $2,176.T7 was de-
posted in the treasury by the custodian.
The committee were unable to find any
books of sales of secondhand carpets.
They also discovered that Pitney received
1910 for Government horses sold 800 of
which he claims to have paid for new
harness, and that the balance, except SD,
still due, is in his hands.
The committee also state that numerous
persons had been paid by the Department
by special voucher, not provided for by
appropriation. Also that the above expla-
nations made by Pitney were not made
under oath, and that he refused to be
sworn. One of the last discoveries made
was that in January and February 1880,
j. b. McMullen was paid 81 200 for the right
to use Hazleton's device for decomposition
on "a boilers, but none of the devices have
yet been applied.
, The Committee plead lack of time as Il