The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-10-23
From Washington.
From our Regular Correspondent

W AStlNtloN, 'Sl llin, iCOo
This Is the busy season in the Depart
ments at Washington. The heads of divis
ions, the chiefs of bureaus and the CaDine
officers are preparing their annual reports
The President is writing his message, The
Governmental history OF the year must be
epitomlzed, the balance sheet must be
struck off and the chief executive must
suggest, by way of recommendation, the
measures he will sanction, provided they
receive the approval of legislation. All
the members of the Cabinet, except Secre-
tary of State, have returned. Mr.. Bayard
was shrewd enough TO postpone his vaca-
ton until autumn, and is now resting away
from the city during the season which, In
Washington, is most trying to the corpus
humdRis.
Extracts from the reports of various Gov
eminent officials prove by irrefutable fig
ures that the present administration has
saved the Government millions of dollars
That the public offices are better kept and
susceptible Of mathematical demonstra-
ton but II Is fact patent to every one &C
quainted with the public service. During
the past two weeks over five hundred use
less employees have been discharged from
the Government printing office alone. Not
withdrawing this great decrease In the
a. 90 a. III
at all impeded. The public land commits
sioner, General Sparks, says In his annual
report The development of the past year
under the agencies Of the new administra-
ton have justified every word said In my
report for last year In regard to widespread
persistent land robbery" The report states
that the total area over which fences have
been or are to be removed either with or
without resort TO the courts Is 2,7l4,026
acres, mostly In Colorado The recommen
dation for an additional force OF not less
than one hundred special agents is re.
newed, as Is also that in regard toadequate
means for protecting the timber on the
public lands, About 10000 acres OF land
have been restored for public settlement;
1885 cases, involving 22j,000 acres, have
been held for cancellation.
President Cleveland Is more sparing than
any of his predecessors were of the appro-
priaton made by Congress for the contln-
gent expenses of the White House. The
contingent fund covers stationery, tele.
grams, books for library, purchase OF new
carpets and furniture, cost OF keeping car,
riage and horses, etc. The appropriation
for Grants last Presidential year was only
$4,000 and Grant spent every cent. Hayes,
at the end of his first year in the White
House, had an unexpended balance of 10
cents out of contingent fund of $1,000
For his last year he had contingent fund
of 10000 out of which he saved $50 Ar
thur managed to save only 1886 out of the
$4,000 contingent fund of his first year,
and that was the largest balance he had on
hand at the end of any year while he was
the occupant of the White House Mr..
Cleveland saved $3,34S 81 during his first
year out of a contingent fund of $4,000.
Without an act of Congress the Score.
tary of the Navy cannot abolish bureau
Or organize one. But he can distribute the
work and transfer some of II from one bu.
reau TO another. One of the main features
of Secretary Whitney's plan of re-organi-
ZatiOn, as submitted by him to Congress,
would be bureau Of supplies that is, IA
bureau which would do all the purchasing
for the entire Navy Department. Another
would be to amalgate several bureaus so
that every care involved In the construc-
ton OF ships would be confided 10 single
bureau instead of being distributed over
Tour bureanx, as at present. Instead of
eight bureaux acting separately and indie
pendently, he would have four bureauX,
with central council. At present each
bureau advertises separately for and separ-
ately purchases whatever IL wants. Each,
Tor Instance, goes 10 the market separately
for the COAL the ice, the timber, the sta.
tionery 1t wants. This plan results In I'm,
necessary advertising and In the higher
prices charged for smaller purchases Dur
ing the past year Mr. Whitney has had his
own Office purchase OF coal, the Ice, the
stationery for all the bureaux with the re
suit as an experienced official estimates. of
a saving of $4,000 on these articles alone
The plan OF concentrating the purchasing
power will be extended 10 other articles.
and the purchasing power may he located
In some one OF the bureaux now existing
IL lie not likely that Secretary Whitney will
have all the purchasing done by his office.