Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-29
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HOW MONEY WAS WASTED.
Corruptions ana Extravaganza os the
Agricultural Department Under Lor-
Ing.
WASHINGTON, May 2G.-The facts Of
the corruptions and extravaganza OF the
Agricultural Department under D.. Lor-
ing exceed hy far what were pronounced
Hes or gross eNaZEerations. The place L.
now found 70 have been rotten through
and through. Gov. Colmsn, the new
Commissioner may have hoped 10 and
something to hold GA n. but il he ddd en-
Iertain This idea be viii have 70 give 1t up
or suffer in the attempt.
Pae leading iiea af The DEPARTMENT APP
pears 20 have beer To spend the appf4-
nriations, amounting 70 nearly S45j'"F
annually. a. lavisnly and f0r as great
personal benefits as possible. The facts
OF the seeds nave already been given.
That appropriation has been criminallY
perverted. The sorghum appropriation
has been spent in manner worse stiil-
II would DE- mercifui 10 call the way IL
was done the NANTES! alton Of ignorance
on the part Of LOring and his
so-called experts. Thousands on thou
sands have been sQuanGered on crimiuallF
ignorant experiments requiring costly
machinery, which not even the head eX-
pert knew how TO use. No beneficial re-
suits have been achieved, unless, while
setting out intending 10 +disprOye Prof.
Golfers results. for which LOring drove
him from the department, they substan-
tiated them all in spite Of themselves,
NAV be called beneficial. What was
called science was little better than the
Il.
million is not worth a cent. Ignorance,
pretensiou. speculation and downright
dishonesty are the best that can be lll-
puted To the concern.
Not only is the seed fund exhausted
through these causes. but the laboratory
fund is also out. II possible there has
been greater ignorance and extravaganza
here than In the seed branch OF the grand
combination. For instance, a so-called
furnace. buf appropriately nicknamed
tsthe kennel" was constructed at cost
Of about 500 and proved not to he worth
cent. Il was the Invention Of the chem
Isl and was 10 work wonders. Though he
builded as well as he knew, It IS practi-
cally useless. Costly and. to the Lor-
inE crowd. useless scientific instruments
Were purchased. Platinum enough TO
last - years. even if il was not measura-
bly, bogus. was bought. AS a specimen
barrel Of alleged sugar beets was ex-
pressed from California at a cost OF about
S25-nOt WORT as many cents for any
needs Of the department; barrel of
sugar at a similar cost was sent from
Callfornla-not worth a tenth part of the
expense. and about as much needed as
yellow dog.
a score o. deadheads have from time To
time been carried on the payroll. some Of
. nh az 80
earn all their money, but who made no
pretense Of earning any part Of it, and
dld absolutely nothing but draw their
money.
Since the November election, to secure
influence with the incoming powers, per
sons have been put on the pay roll and
regularly paid without any service being
performed. Since the fact became appa-
rent that this could not save them, the
officials who played this dishonest game
have been found complaining that certain
senators, Congressman and other public
characters whose friends and favorites
were thus allowed to get their fingers into
the Treasury. have been faithless to rea-
or implied promises to exert their infiu.
ence TO have the Loring officials retained.
All these things are literal facts; not
exaggeratiOns, but cold, indisputable
facts, which any official inquiry VIII place
worst, only the common run, so TO speak,
Of LOring's administration.
Last Congress appropriated $4,000 for
she benefit OF animal industry. Scarcely
cent remains. 1t was the rule to spend
everything. It is the belief of persons
acquainted with the subject that not even
quarter Of the appropriation was iutelli-
gently, honestly expended. There is a
mystery about the way this fupd has dis
appeared. 1t is a matter which Congress
will have TO look into, even If the other
branches Of the department are not in-
Yestigatei.
The confederates who managed the de-
paTtment are all worthy of the same fate.
they worked together. No one Of them
did what was not known 10 and in some
sort shared by the others. Even Loring
now accuses them, while they accuse him,
ofignOranee, neglect and much more that
cannot be iittingly characterized by terms
of equal midness. Gov. Colman has
entered on what indeed will prove a hard
task. He has the sympathy of the cOun-
try. and by making a clean sweep as the
only way to begin to do right he Will have
its suppoFt.