National Republican., 1884-12-06
j. j. BARKER AGAIN.

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He Prefers Charges Against tho First
Comptroller and Explains Them
Before the Springer Committee
What Judge Lawrence Says Upon
the subject.
Tho following letter written by J. J.
Barker, former clerk in the Office of the
first comptroller Of the treasury depart-
ment, and addressed to Representative
Springer, was read by Mr.. Springer to
his committee on tho expenditures In tho
department Of justice at its meeting
yesterday:
I'm the judiciary division of the irst
comptroller's Office the accounts of COM
missioners, clerks, attorneys, marshals.
&c, OF the federal courts are finally passed
upon. The vouchers on file in the regis
tors office will furnish abundant evidence
OF the fact that for years II has beon tho
rule to make Illegal allowances TO these
officials through tho first oomptroller's
office, either by design or through mex
cusablo ignorance of plain provisions of
tho law. l assert that more than one
half OF the accounts presented by these
officials contain Illegal or impropor
charges, and that many Of these items are
allowed. These improper allowances will
aggregate an enormous sum. Convinc-
ing proof of the statement can bo found
in the flo rooms OF tho registers Office.
but these evidences can only be produced
by some ono we'll informed concerning
the contents of the books and the loca-
tion Of tho vouchers. When investigs-
tions of these matters have been at
tempted, only the papers asked for by
resolution have been exhibited"
Mr.. Barker was present and gave q
history OF his appointment In the troas-
ury department, which has already been
published in THE REPUBLICAN,. "Di-
rectly after going in," no continued. II
thought / discovered that the statutes
were boing violated in reference to cer-
tain allowances. / called the attention
of the acting chief of the judiciary di.
vision to what thought were illegal al
lowances Of per diems and also brought
tho matter to tho attention of the comp
troller He said he had written a do.
cision on the same subject. l told him
that his decision had not reached the
fourth door of his Office"
Mr.. Barker gave number of instances
which he termed illegal payments" and
said that they were "a few out of many
instances of such payments"
He said: "United States District At
torney Stone, of tho western district Of
Pennsylyania, charged per diem for
sixty days for ono term of court. That
term had only four cases. The comp
troller said the bill was outrageous and
should not be allowed, but it was allowed.
Mr.. Erhardt, marshal of New York city.
paid out $500 for supervisors of cleo
tions. They served. all of them five
days, and some of them ton days. There
was nothing to show that they ought to
have been employed longer than ono
day-the day of election. j Objected to
the payment of this claim. 1t was pigeon
holed for time. but il was afterward
allowed.
"The clerk of the circuit court In west
ern Missouri sent in vouchers which con-
tained items for tho purchase of window
awnings and Turkish rugs. There wero
also vouchers for three or four ianitors
and for messengers for carrying water.
l called the attention of the chief of the
division to these matters, and he replied
that 1t was none of our business. Tho
comptroller reproved me for not passing
the accounts. There were other accounts
for $11.0 900, that were the result of tho
star route trials. l told the comptroller
that they were illegal. He said he had
signed them without examining them.
l told him he could not afford to sign
them. He replied that he could afford
to, because he had already done 40. /
think tho attorney. general Influenced
the comptroller to allow the 81 OO0U
He mentioned other cases. and then.
referring to the first comptroller. said !;
81 believe Judge Lawrence to be honest.
but he is 80 exclusively engaged in the
production of his decisions that he has not
the tin,e to attond to tho details of his
office"
Before adjournment the committees
directed the chairman to appoint sub
committee to investigate tho matters
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