Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-26
STAR ROUTE FEES,
Curious Correspondence OF Bliss and
Brewster.


Curious Correspondence OF Bliss and
Brewster.
HOW THE FORMER INSISTED ON HIS POUND OF
GOVERNMENT FLESH NOTWITHSTANDING THE
CAUTION OF THE LATTER AS TO PUBLIC
OPINION:
The correspondence sent to the Senate re-
Gently from the Department of Justice. in re-
Spouse to Senator Van Wyck's resolution calling
for papers and documents in the star route cases,
contains some features of interest Col George
Bliss In letter to Mr. Brewster written from
Washington just before the latter became At
torney General says 81 have been away so
much from hOme-here so much-that nv bill
must necessarily be large-larger than think
yOu will care to yoke yourself to; in other words
more than you will feel like charging though
wish you would come up to my mark If you
90 not 1t may be wiser for your bill to GO
through alone. 1t would appear that Mr. Bliss
did not want his bill to appear side by sid,
with that of Mr. Brewster unless the latter
would put his figures up to Bliss mark"
Another letter from Bliss to Brewster written
from the Arlington is: Il enclose bill YOU will
see have charged for fity-three days absent from
my office. This is besides immense time spent
at my office and house. 1t is not a cent too much
and VET recognize that If this thing is to con-
tinue the aggregate will be more than any one
can stand. But have plan for future reduc-
tlon As early as Nov. SO,
Mr.. BLISS BEGAN TO MAKE A FUSS
about the non-payment Of his bills. In one let
Ter he wrote: Il want the money and, more
over, want to know if it is to be paid for if it is
not go out of the star route cases. | am in no
mood for fooling." In reply to this letter Mr.
Brewster wrote that he, personally, did not OBJ
iect to the fees but asked Bliss to remember
that members of Congress- who are not city
lawyers. but who come from the country where
fees are low. will object and complain of fees at
the rate of $40 per diem. including SUNDAYS"
The Attorney General also suggested that the
democrats might get majority of the House
and that they would certainly criticise Bliss and
his charges and TRY to deal with me (the At
torney GencraD for allowing them and espe-
cially so as You (Bliss) are the pronounced as
s0ciate and friend of the President they will
not sernple TO charge that it as an act of favor
partaking of job"
On the 30th of October. So. Mr.. Bliss wrote
Mr.. Brewster Cameron. begging him to hoist
his (Bss) bill out of the deadlock as ne
needed the money. Mr.. Bliss replied to Cen
Brewsters letter. insisting upon his full paw,
and that it was understood he was to get 500
day and expenses. lie declared he had earned
the money: that he had worked twice as many
hours per day as were eXacted from department
employees On January Z. SO Col. Bliss sent in
another bill. and in his letter he continued to in
sist upon full pay. In March, ATTORNEY General
Brewster wrote Bliss.
CALLING HIS ATTENTION TO PUBLIC CRITICISM.
and reminding him Of his former promises that
he had plan for reduction of fees that would
avoid the necessity of dispensing with any coun-
sci. The Attorney General thought the time had
come for putting that plan into execution. but
Col Bliss had evidently abandoned all idea of
the kind He insisted upon his pound of roy-
eminent flesh, and kept calling attention - the
pond, which he admitted was in the fragile
nature OF sort understanding with Attorney
General MacE eaGh. The cOrrespondepce be-
tween Bliss and BrewsteTrelative to the formers
bills stretches out to considerable length. In
/ December, 1888. Mr.. Bliss was confronted by a
refusal of Controller Lawrence to pass a bill of
S9,2OO unless 1t was apportioned between the
two fiscal years. In letter to Mr.. Brewster on
| this subject. Mr.. Bliss said II am thoroughly
clear that he (the contrOller) Is wrong and
while If did not need the money could wait
and try conclusions with him. prefer under
the circumstances to yield" He says further
that to assign the proper proportion Of the bill
| to each fiscal year is
"A DIFFICULT THING TO Do"
but he had made careful examination and
divided the BILL allOtting S47OO for services
| rendered prior to June so, 1883, and "a, 500 for
services after that time. Further correspond
ence on this point followed, and Mr. Bliss was
called upon for something more specific as to
his services. On December 29th he wrote that
| so far as he could calculate, he was engaged in
star route work for sixty-two days in S3 and
one hundred and ten days In "a. but as the
work did not take all OF each day. he had
Jumped 1t and charged for ninety-two whole
/ days, though, he added, he might Justly have
/ charged for one hundred and seven DAYS He
pronounced the requirement that ne should ap-
1 prftn 4. tut II
no idea he would be called upon for any,
| thing OF the kind. In January 1884, Mr., Bliss
was stu pushing his bill and trying to satisfy
/ the department that 1t was all right In irving
to give additional particulars. he wrote that OF
the one hundred and seventy-twO DAYS he WAS
employed In So and "a about forty DAYS were
| In Washington, and the remainder in New York,
This was written after he had described the ar
duous portion Of his duties as being in WASH
ingtOn. Later on Mr.. Bliss appeared to be
wholly In doubt as TO the details he had given
In regard to his labors. for on February Is. 1884
he wrote the Attorney General: "If anything
contained in this letter should be Inconsistent
with anything l have formerly written as to
the distribution OF the services, which it does
not seem to me to be the case, have only to
say that what | have now said is based upOn a
careful examination, while my former letters
were based chiefly upon memory" and he de-
sired the last statement to stand. The CORES
pondence between himself and the Attorney
General had grown quite sharp, and Mr.. Bliss
was reminded, in connection with the "incon-
sistencles" and changes, that he had sworn to
the correctness Of the bills % originally rem
dered.
/ Mr. KER's YEE9..
The Attorney General also had some very plain
correspondence with Mr.. Ker as to his fees, the
latter protesting against his bills being cut
down The Attorney General reminded him
that he had been paid for one years services
nearly $50 600 and expressed the opinion that
that was ample Mr.. Merrick was never in
vOlved in this question. His course seems to
have been one of dignity, consistency and fair
ness. In his correspondence Mr. Bliss expressed
himself as indifferent to public criticism saying