Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-07-23
.ROSEBURG REVIEW
WASHISGTON LETTER.


week over the money bills which pro- ,
vide for running the Government dur :
ing the next fiscal year. The subject
sounds like dry one, but the Con-
nressional debates have not been dull.
Appropriation bills always provoke
much disagreement and afford an oppor
tunity for discussing the comparative
extravaganza and economy of the two
PARTIES.
The Nations balance sheet has just
been drawn up again. The Govern
ment's bookkeepers have footed up
their accounts for the fiscal year that
came to an end ON June 30th, and the
figures are even more satisfactory than
could have been expected The re-
ceipts exceeded the expenditures by
800, ,528, $40. The receipts and expen-
ditures for the fiscal compared with the
last preceding one, show an increase
of revenue of about 81 2, 500, 900 AMI
decrease in the expenditures of about
14,500,000. Customs receipts are
some sl1,00o,000 better internal
revenue S4,50o,o00 and miscellaneous
some S3,000,000. The ordinary ex-
penses are so, 100000 less than last
year. interest is nearly 100000 less
and pensions are s8,600,000 more.
Yes, during the year just closed the.
Pension Office issued S1,422 pension
certificates, larger number by 6,72l
than ever were issued in any previous
year. And when it is remembered
that this immense work has heen per-
formed with force of clerks less by
over 100 than for the three previous,
there seems to be sufficient reason to
congratulate the present Commissioner
of Pensions, Gen. Black upon retrech-
msnt in his office.
At a recent Cabinet meeting the
question of how many telephones were
in use at the several executive de,
partments of the Government in this
city came up. The President asked
each of his Secretaries how many the
department over whichhe presided used
The Attorney General said ?. Secretary
Lamar gave what he thought was hi
number, and so on around. They
made up about fifty altogether. The
president asked them to look into tht
matter and report at the next meeting
They did and Attorney General Gar
land was the only one who had mad
correct return. The total was ont
hundred and fifty. The average cos
of each telephone-because the de
partments have a number Of specia
wires, is 500 year.
Thus for telephone service for th
departments in this city alone, th
Government pays nearly $4,000
year. This was thought too high b
the Cabinet officers and retrenchmen
in this line has begun. Fifteen tele
phones haye already been taken out G
the Treasury department, leaving onl
one on each floor,
The salaries of Government clerk
comes out of the Legislative Executiy
and Judicial Appropriation bill. Th
failure of Congress to pass it b
the close of the old fiscal yea
caused an unusual outlook for the new
The departments opened on trust Jul
1st, it being against the law to max
any contracts for services in excess c
appropriations, $50 you are withor
pay" was the remark made to go'
eminent clerk, shat must be uncon
Portable" He showed no anxiety Q
the subject however. Said he, ''tf
pay of members of Congress is provide
for in this appropriation bill just tt
same as mine is So you see | am a
right. Every Congressman will ST
that I am provided for in time"
1t was Senator Riddleberger WI
introduced the bill TO reduce the sal
ries Of Congressman and certain hie
officials twenty. y.fve per cent. Th
reminds me of the difficulty Of gettir
good business men to take the respo
sible places in the departments. The
is no trouble at all in getting me
politicians for these places, but it h
been the Presidents idea to get got
men. Such men come here oecasio
ally tempted by the. alluremments
Office, although they can do much be
ter in private life. For instance, t
U. S. Treasurer, Mr.. Jordan, has
standing Office in private life OF exact
double what he receives in his prese
official position. He is considered
the way, the ablest treasurer that b
filled that Office since it was first CT
ated.
Secretary Lamar recently asked
wealthy business man to hunt him
good business man for Chief Clerk
the Interior department, How mu
can you pay such mani inquired
capitalist, who, himself, employees abe
four hundred men. Twenty five HI
dred dollars, replied the Secreta
Oh, said the visitor, cannot furn
Linn. | nav $4,000 year for