National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-04-24
FIFTY DRAFTS DISH0NORED.
s.REFeRM" PRACTICES BY WHICH OUR
CREDIT ABROAD rs INJURED.
OmeiaI Account Of Certain sIortifying
Ineonyeniences TO which United
States Consuis Arc ubjeoted-Demo-
cratic Cheese-Paripg ExempliHed.

In explanation OF the request just sent TO
Congress by the State Department for an
additional appropriation of,$i0,0Do to sup
ply deficiencies in the appropriations for
contingent expenses of United States con-
sulates during the current fiscal year, the
department states facts which ought to
ahame even the present penuriops Demo
cratic House into q correction OF disgrace
full state of affairs which tie policy Of mig
gardliness has produced, 3' ri
For the contingent fund named the Con-
Qress appropriated, In 1884, $4,000, aud
AZ q laterpefiod had TO make up deficiency
OF $41,000. Again, In 1885, there was APP
pgopriated for the same fund $Il9 QGo, ana
be supplied, And sgain, Tor the. current
Ascal year (tss6), Sill, 200 was appropriated.
Now there Is a deficiency 4, Of $40, 900, The
expenditures from the contingent fund for
the first six nonthG Of, this year were: Rent,
34,299, 10; postage, S12, 012 49,. stationery
and blank forms, $l1,e34 ,22; furniture,
$1,689.S5; travelling expenses, messenger
services, and miscellaneous, $l20O9,87
total, $72, SEQ. 90. Added To those Items are
expenses incurred by the disbursing clerk
OF the department for stationery, postage,
flags, seals, arms, &C., amounting 70
$7,429. 78, which, with the total before men
toned, makes an aggregate OF 0,055.T In
the FIRST six months taken from the appro-
priation Of $4,000. Commenting on this
matter the departments latter sent to
Congress says; ~
II Will be noticed that the expenditure for
rent is nearly one-half of the entlfel aggregate
of the expenditures, and being SSi,9D9.7B for
isaceount for the entire year VIII 6e $1,000,
out OF the appropriation for $4,000. This
rent allowance Is pioyidsa for ~ l ss
Revised Statutes. Under The iifstof those se6.
salaries exceed 81 900 per annnm, o. SUN for
5 TSs s2SySSp' ss e Mai
year. above those OF 81. 900 per annuIn, amount
10 $685. 900. Twenty per cent Of this sum alone
wScS b $1,000 SS' sS .eaS ss
sboye stated 3ksh, under asSsian l,fsspf.ibe
Revised Statutes, rent iis 70 De allowed Isea i
much more than MAKE ab thS diiisr6nee ., Of
81 600 but by not granting consuls tina full rent
allowance unless absolutely necessary. the de.
partment y able TO BRING the total cost OF rent
The amount of the other main items OF con
sular expense are almost nd certainly liked as
that q Ien., o practice, though not specifically
books shows that any one year Is Just about
the Same Us any other In these respects,
The approximation for me present asoal year
is $4,000, ana II Is apparent, nom the above
statement ofeXpenditures already made, that
twill fall as far short of being sufficient as
did the appropriations for preceding years.
Rightly thousand dollars hayo Daen spent IN
tho inst six months OF the year; aud for the
secopd six months there remain but $4,000 to
meet expenditures by consuls, which may
reasonably be expected to equal those OF the
frat six monthB, namely, S72 $3.50. The rent
alone, which Is allowed by law. VIII amount
To SO, 600 and this Ia 5000 In excess OF tho
remainder OF the appropriation There can be
no doubt however, that the consuls have al
ready expended more than the $4,000, aud
that there viii not be enough money TO REIN
burae them fully Tor the present quarter, or to
reimburse the m at al for the next quarter.
II certainly seems desirable TO provide n0lU
for the deficiency which Is sure to ensue.
rather than TO entail upon consular officers the
necessity OF personally bearing the EXPENSE OF
maintaining the consular service OF the gov.
ornment for three months, and then TO wait a
year atleTWard for reimbursement because
there generally elapses the period of a year
from the close OF fiscal year before the deli
cheney appropriation becomes available,
Formerly the burden was not so great, be-
cause many of the eonsuls paid their expenses
out Of their fees and were embarra'sed only by
having their accounts snspeRded until the delft
cheney appropriation was passed, but under a
clause ofthe deficiency act of'lSSl, Statut IS at
Large, vol 2S,' page 23T, the oonsuls are not
nov allowed 70 so use the fees, ana conse.
quantity they have To bear the expense out OF
their own private resources,
Then, as a iclincher'' to the indictment