Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-03-22
oF oFFlciAL RED TAPE.
How q Government s'icrk Succeeded In
Getting n Cushion.

Getting n Cushion.
The heads OF the departments are oc-
casionalIy called upon 10 settle some
knotty points. particularly in relation
to the expenditure of the public funds.
No voucher is approved until It has
been carefully scrutinized, and no dis
bursemeht or payment is authorized
until the necessity for the same is fully
determin ned and specified in detail on
the face pf the voucher. This rule Is
imperative and Is followed without re-
gard to the amount involved, no matter
whether 1t be -, 900, 900 or . cents.
The officials at the treasury have
made numerous precedents in this mat
ter and only the other day there came
up at said department a condition of
affairs relative 10 a purchase taat for a
time at least attracted the attention of
half a dozen heads of bureaus, the law
officer and an assistant secretary. Now
this was the case in brief: A clerk
81, 200 year clerk--in one Of the bureaus
wanted new cushion for his chair. In
fact, he needed IL. and he made a writ
ten request therefor and addressed the
letter TO his division chief. This gem
tleman approved the same and significd
his approval by writing his name in
red ink on the face of the document.
Then said division chief hit the paper a
terrific blow with rubber stamp and
sent IL ID deputy auditor. IL got an
other signature from said deputy and an
other dos " OF stamp, and a messenger laid
1t on the desk of an auditor, who treated it
TO another salting OF signature and
stamp. An Assistant Secretary OF the
! Treasury took fall out OF the paper,
which was then shot through the war
( rant room and the treasurer's office.
by this time IL was covered with sigma
+ lures and stamps in ink of every known
/ hue, red blue, yellow. carmine, brown
and other blended shades too numerous
/ TO mention. In the course OF a fortnight
the paper reached the office of the chief
/ clerk OF the treasury, who, after deci-
phering it. made an objection thereto
because Il did not specify in detail the
necessity for the expenditure. SO he
disapproted IL, and after more
stamps and signatures, 1t was started
on a return trip. Ii went 10 the clerk
again via the warrant office, the treas.
urer and assistant secretary, the audi.
tor, the deputy auditor, the chief of the
division, and every fellow swiped il
with his stamp. The clerk needed the
cushion and he needed it badly. so he
made a kick and the whole matter was
referred to the proper law officer for ad
justment and decision. This gentle
man, after examining the statutes a.
@ngth, gave 1t as his unbiased opin
ion that the purchase could be made
without infraction of the law, pro
vided hat the requisition wa
made uI ore explicit, and reduced
his views to writing. Then half /
dozen Of the PARTIES in interest appeared
before the law officer and the clerk wa,
told he should have his cushion If the
paper gave some idea of the partieulal
reason fot the necessity of the purchase
The clerk was Southcrner and aftei
standing around in a dazed way for
minute DR. two, stammered out: q
really don't know what to say. | am
as you seq, quite tall and there is littl,
flesh on my frame. sab: suppose
might say am bony and sharp set
and the tequisition was made to sa,
that the d lerk ''was bony and sharp set
The ch Eef clerk seeing that the Law
was salts fed, approved the paper an,
the sharp set clerk" got his cushion
for which the Government paid seventy
five cents. This long-winded story 1
intended 10 impress on the minds Of tn,
reading public that IL is no easy matte
TO get money out of the treasury of tn
! United States s-Washiugton Letter.