New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-14
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
REVELATIONS FROM THE ESTIMATES.
ASKING FOR $4,000. 900 MORE THAN WAS GIVEN
10 THE REPUBLICANS


gross when they reached the Capitol was tue DOCK
estimates 1t large quarto volume Of 34i pages ana
within its contained about all the ue'"' '
over reach the members Of the S3OOOoo,VoO ahu no'
extended to maintain the Government IheSo Huno "o
% agos nj figures giving estimates for the next fiscal
xear with appropriations for the current year, nave
1rv and ,pinteresug look, and 1t Is doubtful II one
,pemher i'm ten pays much attention to them Inc WORK
OF examination is left to the committees having INC
matters In charge But scrutiny OF these estimates
for the next fiscal year throws flood OF lsht on the
meaning of reform as Interpreted by a Democratic
Administration 1t will also show how false nave Deeu
the charges made by Democratic orators concerning the
waste and extravaganza of Republican Administrations
Such charges formed the text of Democratic Platforms
and speeches the last and previous Presidehta cum
paigns But the 800. 900 surplus ana " Tue u'
partments honey conbed with corruption, when nSue"
i'm last years Democratic platform. disappear III n'
years Democratic estimates. These sho" Prop"'o Wv
fciency of S25 900 900 in the revenues LOT hcN' go
and an increased expenditure OF @0'oOU'VVV wv Wv
.pn,onrations for the current year Instea OF hhdihe
the departments "honeycombed with coriuPIlon'
ar,x everv official states that money is aoso-
utely Indispensable ia order 10 provide more eheleh
service In other words the departments az organize"
IN the mast are Just efficient as can be expected from
the amount OF money placed at the dlSposa VI I"o'
head go, ,,
raging the estimates UP in their ORDER it will be found
that the President who made great show OF economy
in stopping newspapers and selling horses ana
asks for precisely the amount FOR such uiPoae "
did President Arthur and as was appropriated LOT INV
ourrent year Notwithstanding all the talk about eA-
trayagance in the and maintenance OF the ENecu
tive Mansion ia the past increase Of $1,000 IN the a
preparation for that purpose is asked for IL VIII '
$4,000 instead of $1,000 10 care for the Executive
greenhouses, while $4,000 is wanted 10 repair
and returnish the Executive Mansion. as the
furniture in some of the bedrooms Is onnciaL!
declared TO be shabby not up to Inc
requirements even of JefersOnan simplicity Inc ooo
Rotary of state wants an increase OF S23o'o 10 carr! vi
his Office proper the greater part when Is TOT an III
crease in salaries and clerks Afraid to trust the fupc
Printer with important secrets secretary Bayard asks
for An appropriation for the establishment OF printing
office for the execution of printing OF confidential
nature in the Department OF state For foreign III
tercoulse under the Secretary OF state thero Is au
apparent decrease of $314,752 bat in reality there an
increase of $2G3 s97. Mr. Bayard has placed under TINS
head the payment Of awards by French ana American
Claims Commission for which 1891 2Ss appropriated
this year. but which will require only Sl3G39 heHtye
Deductiug this item, the estimate stands Slo99o-- o
next year. against ,32j l25 this year Inc Demoer"'
foreign ministers want their salaries increased 10 Tue
amount of ,OOO and Mr. Bayard wants @lS'ooo 10
employ two inspectors of consuates to travel the Wo"
over-a proceeding that has called forth much Demo-
cratic criticism in the past He also wants. U'er ''s
division. perhaps to employ more inspectors con'N
gent fund of 100000, increase OF @loOVO anu "u
addition Of $50 900 TO enforce the neutrality laws is
I'm such ways that the State department Is TO be It.
formed.
A similar story is told in the Treasury estf
mates There is urgent request IN many
of the bureaus clerks and copylst treasurer
Jordan frankly says that some OF the most respo7u'e
,,ositlous in his Office are "mOs nadcquaiey pad, ana
that there has injustice heretofore III the ieuuo
ton of the salaries in that office, which must oe Pheasant
reading 10 those chceseparers, Holman and Randall
Mr. Jordan adds. with Mr. Mannins's approval: Inc
Treasurer feels that III making accommodation ''a'
these salaries should be restored 10 their former hSut'
he only recognizes the dsent and responsible
duties which the clerks in his office have dlschAisfu
during the past years" Mr. Jordan recommends tAat
retiring fund he created aud says so lar as tAe OH
Service ac is operative III the Treasurer Once '' 10
The injury and not the benefit CT the service Alter
this commentator of Republican clerks aud mdrecl
censure of Democratic Congress, II l. doubtful II MI
Jordan Will get the few thousand dollars increase that
he asks for salaries Democratic reform IN The Phia
delphaM int is apparent in the estimate TOT an increase
OF SCI 900 in tho pas OF employees ana @3ooDo more lo'
contingent purposes In New-Oreaus 10000 more
ia wanted for wOIkmen and $1,000 more
for contingencies. For the pay Of Jul-
tors and assistant cu-todans under the
Treasury Department outside OF Washington VINO are
not subject Cy Service examinations an increase OF
Sl74OOO asked, and for other miscellaneous purposes
ali increase Of SIO7. Gj9.
The Secretary of War and the Secretary the Navy
each ask for an assistant secretary Congress created
such offices in 1ss2 and appropriated $1,000 to each
department for that purpose, but the places were
never filled, Secretary Lincoln and Secretary Cham
dler reported that they were unnece, sary. However
they seem to be necessary for a"rcform" AImniNtra
tou The Secretary War asks fo increase in the
salaries Of of his subOrdiuates, stating that
the pay they receive is not proportional 10 the
work required Of hem and he also asks for an increase
in clerks For the support the Navy proper Score
tary Whitney asks for increased appropriation OF
So s26O5S or Sl4,9lO2 O5 altogether, for the main
tenance Of the Navy and 414slGI2G more for an " in
crease Of the Navy" With such appropriations he
ought he able to do great deal in the way OF re
form" He wants larger contingent fund and con-
siderable increase III the amount allowed for clerks
and this the department of all others which has been
held up as home Of sinecurists. For salaries IN
his Office proper Secretary Lamar wants @321ZO
more allowed this year Instead Of the Oste-
tatous of the horses and carriages making saving
to taxpayers he asks for an Increase Of $1,000 III
the fund which that expense mot. But all Of
the officials long ago abandoned that show OF reform.
and they ride about at Government ex-
pense the as If than their predecessors
Perhap the most amusing refOrmer IL SPARKS. with
Secretary Iamars approval and, probably, mindful Of
the Illegal orders that he has sent lie asks for two
claw examiners at an expense Of $780, "tO read
carefully and critically the decisions and letters
prepared IN the office before receiving the sig
nature of the Commissioner" With such
assistance Sparks ought 10 be able to
make decisions in conformity with law. In rents in
this bureau $4,000 will be saved year; but 1t is
proposed to use that saving up many times over In an
increase OF salaries Sparks wants his clerks better
paid. and he wants addition OF eleven chiefs OF div
sions at an annual expense Of $1,000 For projecting
public lands and TO prevent frauds in entries Sparks
asks Tor an increased appropriation OF @2lOOOO with
that sum lie proposes TO appoint seYeuty-eigHt
additional agents TO investigate these cases He adds
that with the present limited appropriation 1t Is
.impossble TO Investigate charges much less expose
and prevent many other fraudulent entries from being
made" How then does lie suppose that his predecessor
was 10 prevent such entries
There is a similar state Of afIs In the Indian Olcc.
An increased appropriation Of $4,000 asked for the
Indian service. Commissioner Atkins wants to increase
salaries commensurate with the responsibility ana
labor Of the respective positions. but unlike Sparks lie
prop drop CLERKS TO make up Tor the In
crease In salaries The estimates for tho Pension ONCE
are astonishing That physical wreck" Commissioner
Black IN his report stated that the Office hal been scan
dalOusly used for partisan purposes. But he wants
$4,000 for his contingent expenses and ten more
messengers while he presents list Of sixty clerks,
chiefs OF divisions, etc, who are, in his opinion. under