The Dillon tribune., 1882-05-06
Cnrr<spovdt',es.
WASHINGTON LETTER


|
WASHINGTON LETTER
tFrom our regular Cosrespoodsnt.l
WASHINGTON, April 2oth, 1852.
AS we approach the latter end Of the ses-
sion OF Congress it is possible to estimate
schemes which have been extensively can.
vassed may be said to have practically failed,
for the present session at least-the new
navy and the steamship subsidy. And it is
safe to predict that the gigantic scheme of
Capt. Eads will meet with no better fate in |
the end, though there has been what Mr.. |
'I'ilden would call a "futile dalliance" on
the part Of committees in both houses. The
naval scheme, which involved the ex.
penditure Of sixty million dollars in the
construction Of six steel ships Of war, was
evolved from the fertile brain Of Mr.. Robe
| son and was to have been carried out bv
| Mr.. Chandler. But the Democrats lost
| faith in the thing after Chandler became
! Secretary, because the latter is a pretty stiff
politician, and the political possibilities that
paralyzed them. It was common report
in December that the Naval Committee
would he made up with view to a liberal
expenditure for ships and that Rob..son
would be the controlling force. Because
Of. this understanding and the harmonious
results that followed in the election Of
Kieter there was great joy in the lobby,
and every ship yard has been lavishlv rep
resented in anticipation Of the good things
to come. But the jig is up 10, the present.
People throughout the country who re.
ceive public document occasionally from
some member of Congress have very little
idea Of the amount Of money expended an
nually to carry on the Government Print
ing Office, or the vast amount Of printed
matter turned off the presses OF that estab.
lishment There was some sensible talk
in the Senate one day last week an that
subject, pending the discussion Of a def.
cheney appropriation. TIE amount called
know what the demand for this large sum
meant. Two millions and a.half had been
spent already during the fiscal year, and re-
Gently an urgency bill for $1soooo was an.
. der consideration, which the Printing Com.
mittee vetoed, and now the demand reap.
peared increased to nearly half million
It really seemed that Congress would print
/ everything that anybody asked for. There
, was the census, which, would not be printed
for wears, as 1t was proposed to print every
. thing written for It, and the prospect wa'
that they would not get compendium un
til 1855. The illustrations for the agricul
tural report for 1880 cost $96,ooo, and ths
whole work was very costly, yet In distri
button It was virtually thrown away. "rh'
amount OF trash which this Government
prints" said he, ''would break any Govern
,nent In this world but this. OF course
YOU can't break the Government" MI
}, Anthonv protested that the Committee o1
q Printing could not be he'd to blame, 10
much Of the printing was regulated b
5 statute. "Oh," answered Mr.. Beck. +"
hold Congress responsible; l hold myse|
n responsible" Condemning the tendenc.
l. to print all sorts OF things, he said, looking
IS at the printed calendar: "llere we have
Il proposition to print report Of the trial {
!. the murderer OF James \. Garfield-Go
=. knows how many copies. The next thin
. we shall he asked to print will he trial {
j. Mason, with a fine engraving Of Betty an
~ the baby" Mr.. Hawlev Supplements
Is Mr. Beck's remarks by speaking of III
q, lack of appreciation Of works issued b
:" the Government, the agricultural report
which cost So cents, being offered for sa
d. at 10. while other works were disposed I
IN at a like sacrifice. Mr. lIoar declared th
us most of the documents printed bv II
es Government were used as marks of perso
i
n. we're distributed without reference to the
an usefulness in the dissemination of know
If edge. He thought there should be son
e. provision made by which the elatora
census reports should he supplied conp'e
700 to public libraries, instead OF being st;
~ ~ tered broadcast. The new Public Printt
"'e whom | knew in the West, and on
~. bought ,neterial for country printl'
~ Office OF, has invited me to come up III
"yo through" the office, which shall
ed by and bv for the benefit OF your readers.
at The dilemma in which the House fin
~ itself, when the project to refer to t
Court of Claims the accumulated mass
private bills is considered, is a curious oi
al 1t is feared that if the scheme should
in come law, vast number OF o.d claim
St. covered with the dust Of ages and hall +
OF gotten by their original holders, would
Endowed with new life. Then, again,
ry Republicans fear that class OF claims kno'
~ as "wa claims" would be "dumped into
,ra court by the cart.load" and would be thro'
rr' back upon Congress. Briefly, however
he is apparent that Congress is unwilling
mart with anv of its prerogatives, while II
also unable to exercise these in the mat
ent of settling private claims against the u
'ct' ernment Congress cannot do the va
'sa, ':, but is willing to put it out to any other
pr" partment Of the Government. This is
OIL a creditable state Of things. The :!
claims should be paid, and the uni
Y claims shsuld be forever dcbarred:: !
,ar. work will involve patient cxaminat,
tied which Congress has not time or skill
! in give. Consequently all claims, good, b
cial and indifferent, are left to molder
ain- desiccate in the pigeon-holes OF the &C
mit,ee rooms. In many cases great
Justice Is done and much hardship enta1
by this means There is now in Wash'
t Of ton an old man, known to almost {,
ring resident OF the Capital, VINO mas oeen
did for years trying to collect Just oeot
mar. few thousand dollars due him from
ma. Goyernment which squanders hund
be. thousand times the amount every ses,
- Is C.1-..,ss Cor thf. benefit of the lOt