Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-29
TREASURY STATIONERY INVESTIGATION.


Messrs Graves, Mcmillan and Garrison, the com
mittee appointed to examine the stationery divi-
sion, have submitted their report to Secretar y
Foiger. 1t Is very elaborate and enters mtnutely
into the details Of the business of the division ano
the laws relating to 1t. The division
supplies the stationery to all of the offices
OF the Treasury, both in Washington
and throughout the country. The stationery pur-
81, 500 II, O. which $40 8s9 purchased under
contract and the remainder in the open market The
tract system to all the purchases OF stationery,
and that no exceptions be permitted except on the
SPECIFIC order OF the Secretary. complete inven-
SD ss3 &C. The committee regard this stock as ex-
cessive, and recommend that it be reduced. OF
many articles there are on hand sufficient quanti
ties TO last from two to three years. They report
that during the year sl.ol57o was eS-
pocket pencils pocket memorandum books, diaries
and fine note paper, cards and envelopes. They
recommend that the purchase OF such articles be
absolutely interdicted. During the year 1881 books
AMI blanks costing SIS. 63446 were furnished for
offices of the Treasury outside OF WASH
re Ths az f6s with
view to their simplifcation and reduction in num-
ber The committee report that the cost of adj
yertising OF the department has been largely re-
duced under the management of the division.
The amount expended for advertising for the
two years ending September 3Oth, 1873, was more
than $4,000, While in the two years ending July
list, 1881, it was only sla5s7.69. They say that
the advertising has been treated in some
the matter onnon OF and
be governed entirely by economic considerations,
and that those newspapers should be chosen IRE
spective OF their politics. which viii best and
most cheaply reach the class for whose information
the advertisement is intended. They recommend
that the expenditure for newspapers be limited to
800 year as required by law and that the remain
der Of the annual appropriation $500 be expended
for financial and technical publications for the
use Of the officers Of the department. They state
that the force OF the division is competent and
uSefuily employed, and recommend that 1t be reg
uarly appropriated for, instead Of being paid for
from the customs appropriation. They find on
hand $9i 7s5 In Official postage stamps-a supply
SUFFICIENT to last for five years, and recommend
that no further appropriations for this purpose be
asked for until required.
The charge that stationery was furnished to
the 'Sherman committee" was fully investigated,
and 63O written pages OF testimony taken under
oath, which Is submitted with the report The
testimony is carefully analysed by the committee.
They find that at the time the arrangement be-
tween Sturtevant and Pitney for furnishing the
"Sherman c0mmittee' with stationery is alleged
to have been made the committee was being sup
piled with stationery by j. Bradley Adams, who
was receiving pay for 1t from Pitney on vouchers
for file-hOderS. They find also that the
heavy box, supposed to contain stationery, which
was taken from the department to the COrcOran
100 copies Of "Bronson's Inc Of Sherman" sent to
Mr. Sherman from Columbus, Ohio, in March, 1880,
taken to the COrcoran building and delivered to a
member OF the Sherman committee.
In conclusion, they report as the strong convic;
ton OF each member Of the committee Impressed
on their minds by six weeks patient and thorough
investigation, THAT no stationery was furnished
by the stationery division, directly indirectly,
and that no arrangements to that end were ever
entered Into by the chief of that division"
!, The general tone OF the report is favorable to
the management OF the division, though many
details are criticised.