American citizen., 1881-11-12
An Interesting Paper Brought to Light.

On the 5th of May last J. F. Moline, John
Walker and w. II. Hills were appointed
committee to examine the disbursements Of
the contingent expenses account OF the
Treasury Department. On June 1t tine Bee
rotary called for report covering the inves-
tigation up to and including that date. The
report was called for by resolution offered in
the Senate by Senator Sherman, which was
adopted on the 2lst of October, and the report
was submitted to the Senate on the 2ith. The
committee says that, lowing TO statements
made to us by the chief Clerk, we have not
mad an examinati ion of accounts for station
cry, but have confined our inquiries To ac-
counts and expenditures under appropria-
tions for other contingent expehses. The
attention Of the Secretary is called to various
sections of the Revised Statutes prescribing
the powers and duties of certain officers of the
Department in relation to accounts under ex-
The organization of the department, officers
and salaries are noted, and the report con-
tinues: For several years there has been IN
the Department quasi officer called Custo-
dian, who has, under the direction of the
Chief Clerk, conducted most of the business
the Treasury Department and the Gus
tody and disposition out os OF apPro, pP9ro
present pres i' .Cu-todian. Gu h o. L. Pitney.
was appointed by the Secretary of the
the tie of $ai0O per annuIn Compcn -ation
was increased to $500 per annum from luly
for the pay of custodians and janitOrs for all
public buildings under control of the Treasury
Department. Your comm. .ttee are OF opinion
that there is no authority of law for either the
appointment or the payment of this Custodian.
Ihc Ieouircments of section 3 7O9 of the Re
vfsed Statutes eem to have been obserN ed
only in the purchase OF fuel. ice and carpets.
In making purchases and occurring expenses
to be paid out of appropriations for other con-
tngent expenses OF the Department, the ordi-
nary precautions adopted by bus ness men
generiIly have been ne elected, and in many
cases exurbitant prices paid. The first step in
making the examination was to take an in
ventory of all property in the storeroom be
tfNftfr fs,f tod Va nlldf
books showing the amount of stock on hand,
and were informed that no such books were
kept. We were also informed that no nven-
tory of this property hnd ever en- made.
he committee find that, during the fiscal year
and the cost of making and laying the same.
were twice paid for, once out of the appropri-
alton for contingent expenses of the Treas
priations for public buildings. H or Bros
repaid the amount of the duplicate payment.
IN fbe sforeroom 1og Which thn
claimed was in the hands of W. Is. Moses. of
this city. 1t was discovered that Moses had
been paid for 63s1i yards of carpet which al
ready belonged to the United States and he,
being notified of the fact. sent the Depart
ment 63T1a yards of carpet of inferior quality
to make good the amount
The committee denounee as illegal the pay
ment of the cabinct-makeIs' department out
of the appropriation for fuel, lights and water
for public buildings. Continuing. the report
says: Your committee find that in February,
March, April, May and June, 1SSD, bills were
presented to this Department by }. Bradley
dams. of this city, for hfty.two dozen Wood,
run fileholder3, which bils-S5O2-were paid
out of the appropriation for ice, ETC., but that
the fienolders have never been delivered.
Attention Of the Custod an has been called to
this matter, and he has refused to furnish any
explanation % stating that personal @ exPaha ana,
in August and October, 1889. two bills amount
ing to sl3, were presented by Breeds sons,
of this city. for twenty-five boxes Of candles,
alton for gas, etc. 1887 but the candles
were not furnished. We have been informed
and sugar used for lemonade for the Secre-
tary, Ass iStant Secretary, and Chief Clerk, and
last summer about the time Of the Chicago
Convention Both Upton. the Assistant Sec
retary. and Power. the Chief Clerk, stated un-
| der oath that they had no knowledge that the
lunch was paid for out of the public funds.
| They contributed out of their own means
towards the cost of the lunch as reported to
| them. and believed it was all paid by private
contribution. Upton also stated that he at one
time gave the Custodian $50 to pay for lemon
| ther find that in November, 1880, and January,
1881, three bills, aggregating Sl4S20, for over
| coats furnished drivers of the Department
| carriages and wagons, were presented to the
Department in blank. AID, by direction of the
Custodian, were made up as billiard cloth for
| covering desks, AMI were pa out of the ap-
| propration for furniture, etc. 1Ss1;' also.
ordered of N. w. Burcnell, for the Treasury
Department, one barrel containing 53ll gal
Ions of bay rum at s3; so per gallon. which was
billed as deodoriIed alcohol.
"Burchell,' who appeared before the COM
mttee, stated that the matter, so far as he was
concerned was an ordinary business transac-
tion. and that the bay rum was sold at the low
est possible figure. We found in stock 5lsi
| toilet purposes. We believe tile purchase to
have been illadvised and unnecessary.
| "Your Committee inquired why this course
was pursued. and were informed by the CHS
| todian' that it was done so that the accounting
| officers would not question the bills.
I'VE further find that from July l, 1873, to
| May 4, 1851. waste paper and pasteboard of the
| Department were sold to the amount of 50,
Or2.66: that during said period no deposit was
made in the Treasury on account or SAID sales
but the money received therefrom was paid tc
of the proeeeds nd kept
balance in his safe awaiting instructions as e.
soon after this fact was discovered by the
Committee the attention of the Chief Clerk
| was called to the matter, and it was suggested
| that the money in the hands or the Custo 1IaI
| ought to be deposited in the Treasury without
| further delay. This was not done, however,
services during the month of May, 1881, when
| the 81, 176.77 balance stated as on hand was
deposited with the Treasurer of the United
stat
cter are cited In the report, and IN con-
.on the committee say:
We are not at present prepared to submit
any recommendations relative to changes we
| think necessary in the system Of making pur.
| chases and disposing of the same We will
say, however. that we think the system at pres.
| ent in vogue very loose and liable to great
abuse, and in our opinion 1t should be mate
| rally changed"
| ing that the prices paid for file-hoders, direc-
| tories, dictionaries. aliases and miscellaneous
been bought for. Ali tie foregoing articles
| were purchased of Bradley Adams, of this
| city, who seems to have received nearly all
the orders for goods of this description. The
Department has been paying at the rate of
So so per day for horse. cart and driver.
The usual price in the District is SL15. The
| person to whom payment is made is employed
In the Treasury Department Thirty cents
| per ton was paid for slowing coal. when the
| actual cost was much less: the difference be-
| tween the amount paid and the actual cost
| being paid to the engineer of the department
| because his compensation is Inadequate for
gust sis se'HseS isse Copies of United I states
| Government" by Lamphere, were bought
as we are informed by a bookseller of
| the city, they could have bought for S2.5)
wfo fro
| covering the period during which he was Chief
| Clerk of the Department, and Major Power,
| the present Chief Clerk, accompany the re-
port. Each of these communications refers
| in detail to various statements of the commit
| tee, AMI maintains that there was no neglect
| during their respective terms relative to max
| ing purchases after proper advertisements
| had been made and proposals received They
maintain that the records of the Department
| bear them out in this statement. In connec-
| ton with charges that exorbitant rates have
| been paid Upton says: 1T should be remem-
| bered that a detailed statement of all expendi-
| lures made from the contingent fund of the
Department is annually presented to Congress
| excessive expenditure of these accounts have
| been made by that body, or by any of its COM
priaiions therefor, or by any of the dealers
| competing for this trade; and | am confident
that for many years the Department has, on
supplies at much lower rates than private
parties have been able to obtain for like ar
The ONCE of Custodian, which the commit
| tee refer to as being illegal, is mentioned by
| Upton as an office which had been recognized
olr lea