Iron County register., 1881-11-17
An Interesting Paper Brought to Light.

Walker and w. II. Hills were appointed a
committee to examine the disbursements of
the contingent expenses account of the
Treasury Department. On June "a tine Sec
rotary called for a report covering the inves-
tigation up to and including that date. The
report was called for by resolution offered I'm
the Senate by Senator Sherman. which was
adopted on the 2lst of October, and the report
was submitted to the Senate on the 9th. The
committee says that, lowing to statements
made to us by the chief Clerk, We have not
made an examination OF accounts for station
cry, but have confined our inquiries TO ac-
counts and expenditures under appropria-
tions for other contingent expenses" The
attention of the Secretary Is called TO various
sections of the Revised Statutes prescribing
the powe s and duties of certain officers OF the
animation. all of which are quoted in detail.
lhe organization of the Department, officers
and salaries are noted. and the report con-
tlnue5: 'tor several years there has been in
the Department quasi officer called Custo-
dian. who has, under the direction of the
connected with the contingent expenses of
the Treasury Department and the GUS
tody and disposition out OF appro-
priaiions for contingent expenses: The
by the Pnsy ~ sSs
the r lte of SO 100 per annum. Comp, nsalion
was increased to S..JOJ per annum from July
l, 1871: and is paid out of the appropI iation
for the pay of custcdians and janItors n all
public buildings under control OF the Treasury
department. Your committee are of opinion
that tn re is no aui ihority of law for either the
appointment or the payment of this Custodian.
1he requirements of section 3 7O9 of the Re
only in the purchase of Of fuel. ice e and Carpets.
In making purchases and incurring expenses
to to be paid out of appropriations for other con-
nary precautions adopted by bus ness men
generally have been neglected. and IN many
cases exorbitant prices paid. The first step in
examination
ventory of all property in the storeroom be
books showing the amount of stock on hand
and were informed that no such books were
kept. We were also informed that no inven-
! h. committee find that, during the fiscal year
1850, 11o1a yards Of " ilton carpet and border
were twice paid for. once out of the appropri-
alton for contingent expenses of the Treas
ury department. and once out of the appro-
repaid the amount of the duplicate paym
A shortage of l59 yards of carpet was found
claimed was in the hands of W. B. Moses. of
thus CITY,. 1t was discovered that Moses had
been paid for 6S.h yards of carpet which al
being notified of the fact, sent the Depart
ment 637H yards of carpet of inferior quality
to make good the amount.
The committee denounce as illegal the pay
ment of the cabinet-makers' 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, 1881, bills were
presented ID to OF this Department by J. Bradey
rutf fleholders, which bill5-S5O2-were paid
out of the appropriation for ice ETC.. but that
Attention of the Custodian has been called TO
this matter, and he has refused to furnish any
explanation .; @ stating that personal expana-
in August and October. 1881. two bills amount
ing to Sl3. were presented by Brcci's sons,
of this city, for twenty-five boxes of candles,
which bills were paid out of the appropri-
alton for gas, ETC., 1881: but the candles
were not furnished We have been informed
by the Custod that these bills cover lemon
and sugar used for lemonade for the Secre-
tary, Ass stant Secretary. and Chief Clerk. and
last summer about the time of the Ch cago
Convention Both Upton, the Assistant Sec
der oath that they had no knowledge that the
lunch was paid for out of the pubic funds.
They contributed out OF their own means
towards the cost of the lunch, as reported to
them. and bel eyed it was all paid by private
cont ibut!on. Upton also stated that he at one
time gave the Custodian so to pay for lemon
ther hnd that in November 1880. and January,
1881, three bills, aggrcgating $3.50, for over
carriages and wagons. were presented TO the
Department N blank, ard by direct on of the
Custodian, were made up as billiard cloth for
covering desks, an1 were pa d out of the APP
preparation for furniture, etc, lSs1;' also.
thai some time in February the Custodian
ordered of n. w. Burchell, for the Treasury
Department one barrel containing 5jii gal-
Ions of biy rum at 81. 80 per gallon which was
billed as deodori cd alcohol.
.Burchel!, who appeared before the COM
mttee. stated that the matter. so far as he was
concerned. was an ordinary business transac-
ton. and that the bay rum was sold at the low
est possible figure. We found in stock 51h
gall ms of this rum. and it was used only for
toilet purposes. We believe the purchase to
have been ill-:tdvised ana unnecessary.
your Committee inquired why this course
was pursued. and were informed by the Gus
todian that IL was done so that the accounting
officers would not question the bills.
We further find that from July I. 1873, to
May T. lsSl, waste paper and pastcboard OF the
U92G6; that during said period no deposit was
made in the Treasury on account OF said sales,
but the money received therefrom was paid to
the Custodian, who s ates that he paid the cost
of asserting out of the proceeds and kept the
what disposition should be made of it. Very
soon after this fact was discovered by the
Committee the attention of the Chief Clerk
was called to the matter, and IL was suggested
that the money i'm the hands of the Custo ian
ought to be deposited in the Treasury without
further delay. This was not done. however,
services during the month of May. ISL, when
the S2,lI6.1' balance stated as on hand was
deposited with the Treasurer of the United
States"
Various other details of less important
character are cited in the report, and in con-
clIsion the committee say:
We are not at present prepared to submit
any recommendationsT % relative % ehangcs we
chases and dispOsing of the same. We will
say, however, that we think the system at pres !
ent i'm vogue very loose and liable to gIeit
abuse and in our opinion it should be mate
rally changed"
Appended to the report are exhibits show
ing that the prices paid for file-holders, direc-
tories. dictionaries. aliases and miscellaneous
books were in excess of what they might have |
been bought for. All the 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 Deen paying at the rate OF
So 80 per day for a horse. cart and driver. |
The usual price in the District is xL15. The |
person to whom payment Is made Is cfnploytd !
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 |
his services. During May, June and Au- !
gust. 1880, l15 copies of United States |
Government" by Lamphere. were bought |
as we are informed by a bookseller of !
the city, they could have bought for s2.5J
each, with twenty per cent. discount. Com |
munications from Assistant Secretary Upton. |
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 !
HAus shAr