Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1885-07-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON July 7th, 1885.

w ASHlSGTON July tu, 1901
Evidences accumulate daily that
new and better governmental era has
dawned upon the country, and that
hope for purer and more business
like administration which expressed
itself in the election Of Cleveland and
will not I've disappointed.
It is safe to say that it has been
long time since the laws were 80 thor
oughly studied and so honestly ell
forced as they now are, while the
present generation sees for the first
time q sincere endeaveror to check
extravigances and the willful waste OF
the peoples money.
The Government receipts and ex-
penditures for the month of June
1884, and 1885, are significant as
showing how far administrative re-
form effects the balances. For the
month of June 1855, the receipts
were $27l57,015 SIS; June 1854,
$26 932. 0SS.30; expenses for June,
1885. sl5.255.658.11, June 1884,
$l6.ll6,113,OO. The increase of
receipts can largely be placed to the
increased vigilance of the customs
service, under the spur Of the new adj
ministration, in preventing frauds i'll
differentiation. The reduction in
expenditures Of over eight hundred
thousand dollars is the immediate
result of the initial passage of the
Jacsonian broom of retrenchment and
reform through the Federal service.
The claim made by the Democrats
in recent canvasses that it was high
time to have look at the books has
been abundantly sustained. In every
department, and in almost every bu-
reau of the Government Irregular
ties are coming to light. Secretary
Manning is overhauhng the Internal
Revenue Bureau, recognizing the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
and reducing this charity hospital to
business principles, and he is break
ing up the ring which has filched the
fifty millions or so from the Treasury
department by undertaking. their
importations. The agricultural de-
partment has been overhauled with
results disastrous to the regulations
eff mealy mouthed Loring, and his
subordinates. The land grabbers
have been checked, and on every
hand evidences of recklessness, and
extravigance are coming to light
The last bureau to he heard from its
Coast Survey, the accounts of which
are under suspicion and investigation
by the Auditor. The wholesome
feeling now is that all these mvesti-
cations will be honest ones, that the
innocent will be indicated, while the
guilty will not be whitewashed. For
such is Democratic reform.
Since the reorganization Of the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
over two hundred persons have been
discharged without their loss being
felt either in the quality or quantity
rf the work done, and at a saving OF
over 100000, FER annum. How can
this be? The explanation liz easy.
Congress places in the hands of the
chief of the bureau nearly million
of dollars annually, with absolutely
no restrictions. The bureau was
filed with clerks meny ofwhom were
assisting the others to do nothing.
Fifty or more were discharged, and
$7O 600 WAS saved at one swOoD
One matron and nine assistants were
employed to protect from theft the
clothes in the dressing room of the
female assistants to the printers
These ten people read and gossipped
aA day.. and drew their salaries' OIL
the first of the month. Now two
women pass occasionally through
the dressing room and the same re.
suit is attained. Eight lazy colore6
men sat on a bench in the corridor
Now only one is left to tell the tale
The Treasury Department corridors
also were thronged with Idle messen
gers, so much so, in fact, that it be
came a subject of complaint to thu
Secretary. Now the efficiency of ,
few is increased by the discharge o
many.
The new administration is littl'
raw as yet has not got, its hand in
but in the initial work of four months
there is promise for the forty ant
four follow.