The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-07-09
WASHINGTON LETTER
from our Regular Correspondents

Congress has been Wrangnng all
week over the money bills which pro-
vide for running the Government dur
ing the next Fiscal year. The subject
sounds like a dry one, but the Con-
gressional debates have not been dull.
Appropriation bills always provoke
p,uch disagreement and afford an
opportunity for discussing the compar-
ative extravaganza and economy of
the two parties.
The nations balance sheet has just
been drawn up again. The Govern.
ment's book-keepers have footed up
their accounts for the fiscal year that
came to an end on Jnne 3Oth., and the
figures are even more satisfactory than
could have been expected. The re
ceipts exceeded the expenditures by
800, ,52S, $40. The receipts and expen-
ditures for the fiscal year compared
with the last preceding one, show an
increase of revenue of about Sl2, $780,
900 and decrease in the expenditures
of about Sl4,500,000. Customs re-
ceipts are some Sl1, 100000 better, in
ternal revenue $4,500,000 and miscel-
laneous some $3,OOO,OOO. The ordi-
nary expenses are S22, 400, 900 less than
last year, interest is nearly Sl,000,000
less and pensions are SS,60O,00O more.
Yes, during the year just closed the
Pension Office issued 81, APP pension
certificates, larger number by G,72l
than ever were issued in any previous
year. And when it is remembered
that this immense work has been per-
formed with force of clerks less by
over 100 than for the previous, there
seems to be sufficient reason for con-
graduating the present Commissioner
of Pensions, Gen. Black upon retrench-
ment in his office.
At recent Cabinet meeting The
question of how many telephones were
in use at the several executive depart
ments of the Government in this city
came up. The President asked each
of his Secretaries how many the de-
partment over which he presided used
The Attorney General said two. Sec
retary Lamar gave what he thought
was his number, and so on around
They made up about fifty altogether.
The president asked them to look into
the matter and report at the next meet
ing. They did and Attorney General
Garland was the only one who had
made correct return. The total was
one hundred and fifty. The average
cost of each telephone-bccause the
departments have a number of special
wires, is 500 year.
Thus for telephone service for the
departments in this city alone, the
Government pays nearly $4,000 a
year. This was thought to be too high
by the Cabinet officers and retrench.
ment in this line has begun. Fifteen
telephones have already been taken out
of the Treasury department, leaving
only one OF each floor.
The salaries of Government clerks
comes out of the Legislative, Execu-
tive and Judicial Appropriation bill.
The failure of Congress TO pass it by
the close of the old fiscal year caused
an unusual outlook for the new. The
departments opened on trust July lst,
it being against the law to make any
contracts for services in excess of ap.
preparations. $50 you are without pay
was the remark made to government
clerk, shat must be uncomfortable.
He showed no anxiety on the subject
however. Said he, ''the pay of mem
bers of Congress is provided for in this
appropriation bill just the same al
mine is, SO you see ! am all right
Every Congressman will see that an
provided for in time
| 1t was Senator Riddeberger who in
troduced the bill to reduce the salaries
of Congressman and certain high Off
cials twenty five per cent. This re
minds me of the difficulty of getting
good business men TO take the respon
sible places in the departments. Ther
is no trout lie at all in getting mer
politicians for these places but it ha
been the Presidents idea to get goo'
business men. Such men come her
occasionally tempted by the allure
meu,s of Office, although they can d
much better in private life. For iu
stance,the U. S. Treasurer, Mr.. Jordan