Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-08-18
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THE WAY THE MONEY GOES.
A Chapter on the Petty Stealing in Wash
ingtOn.
IFrop the New York SUM-
Since the removal of Pitney, the treasur
custodian, little has been heard of "contingen
funds" 1t is not alone in the treasury tha
the eye of scrutiny should be turned, as kir
dred abuses are found in the other depart
ments. Contingent funds are, perhaps, nee
essary evil, but they certainly afford opportu
nifty for wasteful extravaganza or petty steal
ing on the part of small officials. l hav
been looking over the returns from severa
departments, and the results are both curlou
and instructive.
1t can be safely said that each department
has a special favorite who, in his particula
line, monopolizes the entire trade subject tt
the will of the purchasing agent Thes
traders are all Washington men. hav
been informed by more than one reputabl
merchant, not in the ring, that it is akin t.
impossible to secure departmental custom un
less resort is had to ways that are devious
and liberal tickling of the hand that buys
That this makes ap expensive system for tn
Government can be shown by single in
stance. A dealer in this city sold inkstand
with walnut framework at $l2 a piece to {
department buyer, while retailing the same
kind in his store at 1915. This affords ample
margin for a division with those who car
both add and be silent.
But the most prominent feature is the reck
less prodigality with which these contingen
fund dispensers get away with the Govern
ment money. 1t extends to things both grea
and small, from the thousands wasted in cost
ly furniture to the petty swindle of imaginary
street car rides at the expense of the people
Think of the war department spending 1861
last year for street car tickets with Gov
ernment wagon and carriage always on haDo
and an open account for carriages at the liv
cry stable only across the way. Then, too
Chief Clerk Crosby made two tri ps to Balti
more at the expense of the Government, fare
S1.2O each way, or $3.50 in all, and makes q
charge in the contingent fund of $28.
Again, the attorney. general, forgetful of the
fate Of Landaulet Williams, keeps splendid
carriage bought with the peoples money, and
pays his driver salary, as an employee OF
the department of justice, of $S40 year
One would think this quite enough, but the
courtly Devens always made his driver a
Christmas present of an overcoat and then
charged S25 to the contingent fund for his
liberality. This overcoat business pervades
all the departments, even the State depart
ment and the war office, not satisfied with a
present to the carriage driver, also included
the driver of the mail wagon-men getting
good salaries, and presumably able to buy
their own clothes.
In the Office of the quartermaster.g genera!
another of these petty abuses exists in com:
pelling the people to pay for the periodical
literature of the army satraps. Last year
the contingent fund was drawn on for 1920
for magazines alone, and for a much larger
sum for daily newspapers.
1t is source of wonder what these officers
do with Washington city directories. The
war department spent $245 for them the
surgeon. generals Office, confined to one small
building, requires twelve directories, at a
price of $50, for Office use. Large sums for
cleaning and scrubbing are also expended,
although the departments are fairly running
over with strapping big colored laborers,
drawing $50 month. Another item return
ed in the war Office is $3l7 for Fireplace
furnishings" in building heated by steam,
thousands being spent to make it as perfect
as human ingenuity can make it,
These are only little fellows in the line of
expenditure, it is true, but they are speci-
mems of the whole. Now look at some Of the
larger items, such as carpets, furniture, sta.
tionery, and the like. To begin with, take
the war department. This Office had a total
contingent fund last year Of over $1,000
divided among the various bureaus. The
first thing that catches the eye is the striking
uniformity with which the expenditures are
made to balance the appropriations, no sur
plus remaining except in single instance,
and that only $3.50. The stationery for the
office was purchased from a single firm, and
reached the enormous sum of $l6,876 40;
the carpets and mating for the year, through
another favored individual, cost $3,923 81;
spittoons and busters, from another firm, with
but little variance, reach the SUM of$l ,26l 81 ;
soap and sponges, $47S 30 matches SlS9 13 ;
window shades and towels, 1894 81 ice pitch
ers 1922 IS, and furniture runs up to
S3,643 85.
Bear in mind that these expenditures were
made for buildings already completely fur.
nished, and were mere incidentals to repair
wear and tear. There is belief that at the
annual house-clearing many of these articles
find their way to the homes of the chief off,
cials, whence short memory prevents their
ever being returned.
A singular thing is the large sums spent
for repairing the mail wagon, which last year
cost S736 06, while the harness repairs cost
S1S3 49, 1t seems hardly within the limits
Of probability, but an item is introduced in
the surgeon generals account of repairs to a
wagon at one time of $685. 80 there could
have been little left of the old wagon but the
horse. At another time the war department
paid 1882 for wagon repairs. Aside from all
this, harness was purchased during the year
costing S42l 10. These items are not isolated
cases, but the annual product of the planting
of the contingent fund.
Besides the fund allowed the war depart.
ment proper. there is also set apart for ''the
military establishment" S38,647 AS to sta
tionery moderation was used, the cost being
only Sl27 05 But whew what a number of
army promotions and appointments must have
been made, Judging by the number of officers
commissions, in blank, purchased from a
single favored stationer. These commissions
cost less than dollar apiece, and still! there
was spent in this way sl,376 25. And here
provision was made for the defence of the
negro cadet. Whitaker The charge of Mar.
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