St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-10
TREASURY FRAUDS.
Enormous sIins sIlosred Government Off
class o.. Illegal Chaegss-

Enormous surns suosred Government Off
ciass %. Illegal Chaegss-
The Washington correspondent Of the
Phiiadelphia Ts,aes, under date OF Dec. 5
furnishes the following:
The following letter written by W ]. Bar
ker. former clerk in TIE oiice OF the first
Com ptrolIer OF the Treasury department, and
addressed to Representative Springer, vas
read BY Mr. Springer TO bis committee on
the expenditures In the Department Of JUS
tice IL It's meeting to-day:
In the judiciary division OF the FirspComp-
lr6ller's officr toe accounts OF commission
ere. CLERKS. attorneys, marshais, ETC.. Of the
federal courts are finally passed upon. The
vouchers on tie IN the RcZ.steT's O1ice viii
furnish abundant evidence Of the fact that
Tor wears il has been the rule 10 make Illegal
allowances 70 these Off ciais through the First
Comptr1lier's Office, either BY design or
through inexcuszble iguoranee % plain pro
visions 81 the law. I assert that more than
one-haif OF the accounts presented by those
officials contain illegal or improper charges
aud thai many 81 these items are allowed
The improper allowances will aggregate an
enormous sum. Convincing proof Of the
statement can he found IN the fle rooms o.
the registers Office, but these evidences can
only be produced by some one veil inform
ed concerniug the contents OF the books and
the location ofthe vouchers. When invcsti-
cations % these matters have been attempt
ed only the papers asked for by resolution
have been exhibited.
TBS STATUTES VIOLATED.
Mr. BARKER was present. aad offered an ex-
PLANTATION Of his charges. he said be was
appointed 10 position 10 the Treasury de-
partment Nav IL, 1888, and was assigned,
by request OF Judge Lawrenee, First Comp
i-olier 70 his bureau.
Directly after going in he said. II
thought discovered that the statutes were
being violated in reference 10 certain allow
auccs. called the attention OF the acting
chief OF the judiciary division 10 what
thought were illegal allowances of per dfems
aud also brought the matter 10 the atteu-
ton of the Comptroller. He said be had
written a decision on the same subject.
told him that his decision bad not reached
tie fourth door OF his Office
Mr.. Barker gave number OF instances
which lac termed illegal PAYMENTS" and
said that they were "a few out OF many in
stances OF such payments" He said:
the Western district OF Pennsylvania, charged
per diem for sixty days Tor one term OF
court. That term only had four cases. The
Comptroller said the bill was outrageous and
should not be allowed, but Il was SLOWED.
Mr.. Erhardt, marshall OF New York CITY.
paid out s., 200 for supervisors Of elections
They served (all OF them) five days aud
some OF them ten days. There was nothing
10 show that they ought 20 have been EN-
ployed longer than one iAy, the day Of cleo
ton. objected 10 the payment Of the claim
IL was pigeon hOled for time, but was after
wards allowed.
The clerk Of the Circuit Court IN western
Missouri sent in vouchers which contained
items for the purchase of window awning.
and Turkish rugs. There were also voucher.
Tor three or four jaDitors and for messenger:
for carrying water. called the attention o.
the chief OF the division 10 these matters and
he replied that II was none OF our business
The Comptroller reproved me for not passin:
the accounts.
RELICS uF TIE STAR ROUTE TRIALS.
There were other accounts for 81, 900 tina
were the result Of the star route trials / toll
the Comptroller that they were illegal. II,
said he had signed them without examining
them. told him be could not afford 10 sig
them. He replied that he could afford to, be
cause he had already done so. think ID
Attorney General influenced the Comptrolie
TO allow the S11, 600. Mr.. Hill. OF Boston
clerk Of the United States Circuit COur.
charged attendance for every day OF the yes
except Sundays, the Fourth of July an,
Christmas. There is no court in session al
| the time.
''Major Warner, the United States DistrIc
Attorney for the western district Of Missouri
charged per diem when be vas not in at
tendance at the court AZ jefferson City. Whel
here and the matter was referred 10 him b
said he did not know that he had 10 be Their
and thought that he drew per diem whethe
/ present or cot. Il was disallowed. Judg
/ Nixon. OF Rhode Island, lives out OF the cit
in which court is held and charged 4 mileag
when going in and out every day. Invent L
the chairman Of this committee year az
and Ia Senators Van Wick and Harrison an,
atiers pied to have these things corrected, bu