National Republican., 1885-08-07
rHE COAST SURVEY SCANDAL.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE AND ITS REQ
oMMENpEp REORGANIZATION.

u report submitted to Secretary Manning
yesterday. They are that moneys re.
ceived for electroplating, &C., were di.
vided among the force; that number
of valuable instruments have been
eloigned, and are still out; that there was
collusion between G.. N. Saegmuller, late
chief Of the instrument division, and
Fauth & Co.; that visiting cards have
been provided for private use; that
moneys have been paid to employees Of
the drawing division by Lieut.. Col.
Craighil and Lieut.. Col. Warren, u. s.
A., for work done out of the appropria.
tions of the government; that several
employees we're benefciaries of needless
journeys at public expense, and many
other improper or illegal practices pre-.
vailed.
The concluding recommendation in
regard to the reorganization are as
follows:
"While the instructions, in pursuance
Of which the investigation was under
taken, do not require the framing Of an
indictment of the individuals who ap.
pear to have been compromised by the
evidence, it seems proper that In the in.
terest of the more or less extensive reor.
ganization, which due regard for the
prosperity of the bureau imperatively
demands, we should refer by name 10
the individuals who to greater or less
extent appear to be implicated by that
evidence.
"If the Incorporate habits of Prof.
Hilgard, late superintendent, confessed
by him and established by abundant
testimony, were not q complete disquali-
fication for the discharge of the respon'
sible duties from whichhe was suspended,
his own deposition affords abundant
evidence Of either such failure of faculty
or perversion of moral sense as must be
held to quite unfit him for position of
responsibility, while the evidence of his
large share of the responsibility for the
unsatisfactory condition and recent
dubious reputation Of the bureau, and
the substantially unanimous concurrence
Of opinion among the principal employees
Of the office, quite emphatically suggest
the improperly Of his restoration to any
office duty.
"There is some evidence, mainly his
own testimony, to show that G. o. Bou.
telle has made efforts to correct some Of
the irregularities revealed by the investi.
cation. He, perhaps, does not deserve
dismissal from the service, but his res.
toration to the Office ofassstant in charge
would seem to be measure of quite du.
bious proprieiy,
"While there was no conclusive evi.
dence of the conversion of any property
of the bureau to the use OF G. N. Saeg.
muller, or the firm of which he was
member, there was enough testimony to
raise strong suspicion that there has not
always been Il scrupuous distinction be-
tween the articles and materials of the
bureau and those Of the firm. His restor.
alton would be detrimental TO the morals
of the coast survey, the dissolution oil
his partnership with which should be
made permanent, especially so in view
of the practical continuance of his OBJ.
jectionable partnership and relations with
Fauth q Co.
"No evidence was brought to our at.
tention indicating that Mr.. w.
b. Morgan, late disbursing agent of the
bureau, had in anywise appropriated 10
his own use any OF the funds coming to
his hands, but he appears to have been
entirely facile in the matter Of ohjecting
to unusual items or unnecessary
charges
"In view of his intemperate habits
and loose methods of doing business, we
do not feel warranted in recommending
his restoration to his former duties.
"The somewhat dilatory confession oi
Mr.. II. g. Ogden, after its proof by an
other, that Il. A. Rubsen, an mex
perienced minor, who appears on the
rolls of the bureau as largely paid con
tract engraver, was selected to make sub
contracts with the other engravers OF the
office, because vouchers for contract
work would look better ia the name O
an outsider than in the name of an EN-
ploye and other acts of similar char
acter, hardly indicate the possession o
that keen sense of propriety which woult
secure to him the respect and confidence
of the employees.
Conclusive evidence of the almos
invariable daily intoxication of w. 7
Bright, clerk in charge of the drawing
division, and equally conclusive evidence
that he has demanded from employees il
his division share of the work done TO
outsiders, and has received share rang
ing from 10 to 20 per cent, either fron
the employees or by adding the amour
to their bill rendered by outside en-
: ployes, suggests the propriety of an earl
change, in the interest alike of moral
and discipline, in that division.
"Another feature ofthe present organ
ization and condition which seems opel
to criticism relates to the compensation
, Of the office force, which would appea
, to require redistribution, and in som
! respects better defined limitation.
Part of the money now literally dis
pensed in the Office subsistence might b
, justly employed to advance the compen
E sation to underpaid Office workers, sue
i as computers, TO just and decent rate
, "There is some evidence that assist
> ants in the field have practiced q specie
of extortion by collecting the entire sub
, sistence allowance of their subordinates
. without allowing the difference betwce
such subsistence and the actual expense
I and then dividing it pro rata among tn
y. party to tighten the mess bills, tn
effect of which is to make the mess bill
of the highest officer lighter than that @
the most poorly paid subordinate.
n "If the voucher or transportation &C
! count were required in every instance t.
! show fully the practical necessity an
purpose of tripa made by officers of tn
survey, it might tend to discourage III
making Of excursions not fairly justilie
, by the exigencies of the service.
"Of the 5S employees of the bureau,
are classified as very able and efficient
32 as efficient and reliable, as able bu
not very efficient, either inefficient G
0 not well informed, 2 usefulness impaire
by age or inGrmity but still capable o
efficient work, A not capable of efiicier
work by reason Of age or infrmity,"
SUCH A GOOD COW.
| A simple hearted and truly devor
country preacher. who had tasted bu