Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-11-01

Turnbull drew his attention to the
mileage steal, as perpetrated by the
Auditor-General, the State Treasurer,
the Commissioner of the State Land
Office, and the Secretary Of State.
Senator Conger saw that his argu-
ment was badly crippled, and to save
himself from humiliation, resorted to
that kind of wit common to street
vendors of corn cures, when some one
in the crowd try their wit upon them,
and sought to escape from the pit he
had fallen into, by raising laugh ;
and as Senator Conger is an adept at
such means, he managed to save him.
self from complete defeat. But he
failed to explain the mileage steal.
The facts of the case with regard
to the steal perpetrated by the State
officials are, that when, in all proba-
pility, they make journeys by railway
on dead-head tickets, they charge the
people of Michigan ten cents per mile,
when the actual fare charged by the
railroads is three cents or less per
mile. Let us consult the report of
Board of State Auditors, and show a
few of the items therein paid, rs we
have not room to print all. From
their report we find that the Secretary
of State charged s33S60 for travelling
1886 miles, on public business, when
at the most, it could not have actually
cost over S101.58, and he must thus
have been paid S23702 more than he
was Justly entitled to. In May, 1880,
the Auditor-Gcneral put in bill for
$40, for travelling 200 miles-the ac-
tual cost of which could not have
been more than $6-thus receiving
s14 more than he was entitled to. In
1879 we find that the Auditor Gener-
al charged the State with $4,000 for
travelling $3.50 miles, which, at three
cents per mile-the legal outside
charge-would have cost only SOTO,
and we thus find an over-charge of
$249.90. During the same year the
over-charge for railway travelling by
the State Treasurer was $113.54 |;
State Land Commissioner 1886, and
the Secretary Of State S17.22-the
total for the four Republican State
officials, as shown by their own report,
as paid, being S439.52. These Off
cials, with one exception, allow their
own bills, the same as the Board of
Supervisors, the Common Council
and the town boards; and if receiv-
ing from the State hundreds of dol
lars for travelling expenses more than
they paid, is not stealing, we would
like to know what it is? TO Senator
Congcr, who has done his full share
to foster the monopolies that draw the
life blood from the laboring classes
and deprive the working mans family
of many needed comforts and necessa-
ries of life; and who labored to ex-
pend the millions of money wrung
from the people, these small amounts
would hardly appear as stealing, for
the honorable Senator could hardly
be expected to call anything less than
taking 100000 steal. A few hun
dred dollars was too small for his sem
atorial dignity, and, therefore he
fought shy of Mr.. TurnbulPs question,
and to draw the attention of the peo-
pie from such little steal, he resort
ed to the street corn doctor device.
The Senator now took up the tariff
question. He boosted how he had
worked for the lumbermen and'salt
manufacturers, against the Congress
men of those parts of the Union that
produced no lumber, and wanted to
get it rs cheap as they could. For
doing this the Senator was paid $4,000
per year, 1925 for stationery, and
twenty cents mileage. Let us see how
he and his Republican colleagues of
Michigan have worked for the people
who paid them large salaries for their
services. While a protective tariff is
the policy of the country, it is but
right that the products of Michigan
should receive equal protection as is
given to the products of other States.
The duty on sawed lumber is not
quite Is per cent, or 50 per thousand
feet. The duty on iron ore is 20 per
cent, and on pig iron "a per cent. On
raw wool the average per cent is 4O5.
On salt in bags, sacks, ETC., 1888 per
cent. The average duty on the above
articles is 80 % per cent. Another
great industry of Michigan is fish, but
there is no protective tariff to help it,
yet, strange as it may seem, although
in free competition with the terrible
Canadians, the fish industries of Mich
igan have not been paralized by free
trade. The Michigan fisheries are
hourishing; the fishermen have not
been thrown out of employment, and
they find ready market for their
fish. Now let us see what Congress
men from the eastern and southern
States have done for their localities.
The duty on rice is 105:31 per cent
OH plain bleachcd cotton, value 20
cents per yard, or less, the duty is 44l
per cent on printed or colored cotton
the duty is 50 per cent; cotton hosie-
ry, 80 per cent; cotton thread, 5S5
per cent plain china ware, 40 per
cent, and ornamented china, 80 per
cent; on linen, 35 per cent and 40
per cent on glass the tariff duty
ranges from 34i to 109:94-the aver
age on glass being 56:23 per cent the
duty on hats, bonnets and hoods is 40
per cent; on steel the duty ranges
from % to 1929 per cent-the aver
age 50:62; the duty on soap is 1867
per cent average duty on sugars and
molasses is 53:42 per cent OH car
pets, 1886 per cent; dress goods,
67:25 per cent; on WOODEN manufac-
lures, GOAL per cent; zinc, 1917; on
all articles that enter into competition
with American products, in 1880, the
average was 1898. or nearly Al per